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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: roll · spell · board · snap · lean · bear · temple · stick

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. When was this ________________ built?
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. board — a committee
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. spell — magic
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. spell — letters
  8. lean — to bend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. lean — thin
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. board — a flat piece
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. roll — a list
  17. bear — the animal
  18. board — to get on
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — a short time
  21. snap — to click
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. roll — a cake

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