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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · roll · stick · mate · land · rush · tear · content

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We're on a ________________ here.
  18. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. stick — to attach or keep to
  3. content — the amount
  4. roll — a cake
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. mate — a friend
  7. mate — a partner
  8. tear — from crying
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. spell — magic
  11. land — to come down
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. roll — a list
  14. content — happy
  15. land — a country
  16. rush — hurry
  17. roll — on a roll
  18. mate — to breed
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. tear — to rip
  22. tear — from crying
  23. land — ground
  24. rush — to hurry

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