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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: stock · snap · cap · lean · race · spell · mark · bore

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cap — a hat
  3. lean — thin
  4. mark — a trace
  5. bore — to tire
  6. lean — to bend
  7. mark — a grade
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. stock — shares
  10. race — humankind
  11. snap — to click
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. race — a contest
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bore — to drill
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a lid
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. race — the arms race
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. stock — goods
  24. spell — letters

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