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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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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: rest · can · arm · bear · cell · rush · snap · stick

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. bear — the animal
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rest — what's left
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. bear — the animal
  11. rest — what's left
  12. cell — in biology
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. can — a tin
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. rest — a break
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. cell — a phone
  23. can — a tin
  24. rush — a thrill

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