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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 116 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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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: firm · snap · fork · stick · pound · spell · can · mate

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  22. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  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. spell — a short time
  2. pound — for dogs
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mate — a friend
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — magic
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. firm — a company
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — a garden tool
  13. mate — a partner
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. pound — a weight
  16. spell — letters
  17. can — a tin
  18. firm — steady
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — to be able to
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. mate — to breed
  23. firm — decided
  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