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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: hide · spell · file · can · track · snap · lean · content

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. file — a document
  6. track — to keep track
  7. lean — thin
  8. snap — to snap out of it
  9. spell — letters
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. file — a tool
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — a short time
  15. content — the amount
  16. content — happy
  17. spell — magic
  18. track — a song
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. snap — to click
  21. lean — to bend
  22. can — to be able to
  23. file — a line of people
  24. track — a path

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com