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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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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: track · arm · snap · rule · can · deal · stem · fine

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. fine — all right
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. can — to be able to
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a path
  10. stem — to come from
  11. rule — a law
  12. rule — government
  13. snap — to click
  14. stem — of a plant
  15. deal — to handle
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. can — a tin
  18. track — a song
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. stem — a stem cell
  24. fine — high quality

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