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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 116 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: rash · lie · game · spell · snap · dip

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. dip — to sink
  5. rash — hasty
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. lie — an untruth
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — wild animals
  11. spell — letters
  12. snap — to click
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. game — a match
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. rash — a series
  18. snap — to snap out of it

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