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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: hand · suit · track · snap · fine · spring · march · lean

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. track — to keep track
  3. lean — thin
  4. track — a song
  5. suit — to fit
  6. hand — help
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. suit — in cards
  10. march — the month
  11. spring — a coil
  12. track — a path
  13. spring — the season
  14. march — music
  15. fine — all right
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. fine — high quality
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. suit — clothes
  20. lean — to bend
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. spring — of water
  23. march — the month
  24. snap — to click

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