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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 120 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: spell · foot · last · rash · firm · snap · track · pound

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. False peace will not ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to snap out of it
  2. firm — steady
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. track — a path
  5. spell — a short time
  6. last — finally
  7. rash — a series
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. firm — a company
  11. track — to keep track
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. spell — letters
  14. track — a song
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. last — to go on
  17. rash — hasty
  18. spell — magic
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. last — final
  21. pound — a weight
  22. snap — to click
  23. firm — decided
  24. foot — a measure

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