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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.

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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: snap · spell · dip · bear · bank · rock · hand · current

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. snap — to click
  3. spell — letters
  4. current — of water
  5. spell — a short time
  6. hand — help
  7. rock — a stone
  8. spell — magic
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. bank — of a river
  12. hand — in cards
  13. current — happening now
  14. rock — music
  15. bear — the animal
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. current — electric
  18. bear — the animal
  19. bank — for money
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bank — for money
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bear — to put up with

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