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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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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: spring · stock · pass · hide · march · wake · snap · can

  1. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.

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. spring — the season
  3. snap — to click
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. stock — shares
  6. wake — a trail
  7. march — the month
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spring — of water
  10. spring — a coil
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. can — to be able to
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. can — a tin
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. pass — to succeed
  17. march — music
  18. stock — goods
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. march — the month
  22. can — a tin
  23. pass — a permit
  24. wake — to stop sleeping

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