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

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. ball — a dance
  4. stem — a stem cell
  5. wake — a trail
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. stem — of a plant
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. spell — a short time
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. ball — a great time
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. pound — a weight
  20. snap — to click
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. stem — to come from
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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