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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: row · ruler · rest · stand · spell · snap · bulb · pound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The light ________________ burned out.
  9. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I would like to have a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bulb — of a plant
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. rest — what's left
  6. spell — magic
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. bulb — for light
  9. ruler — a monarch
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. snap — to click
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. spell — a short time
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bulb — for light
  19. row — a line
  20. rest — what's left
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. row — to paddle
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. rest — a break

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