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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: spring · ball · fall · content · snap · rock · dip · foot

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. The King held a masked ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. foot — a measure
  3. content — the amount
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. dip — to sink
  7. spring — the season
  8. rock — a stone
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. rock — music
  11. snap — to click
  12. ball — a dance
  13. fall — to drop
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. fall — to drop
  17. spring — a coil
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. spring — of water
  22. ball — a great time
  23. fall — the season
  24. content — happy

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