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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: can · dip · arm · snap · content · wound · object · roll

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. roll — a list
  3. wound — an injury
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. dip — to sink
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. wound — an injury
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. can — a tin
  11. object — an aim
  12. object — a thing
  13. can — to be able to
  14. roll — a cake
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. snap — to click
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — happy
  19. object — to protest
  20. can — a tin
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. wound — past of 'wind'
  24. content — videos and posts

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