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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  11. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  12. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  15. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. suit — in cards
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. snap — to speak sharply
  11. vault — a safe
  12. suit — clothes
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. vault — in gymnastics
  15. vault — an arched ceiling
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. suit — to fit

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