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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: toast · stand · spell · cell · snap · kick

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. spell — magic
  5. cell — in biology
  6. stand — to bear
  7. kick — in football
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. kick — a thrill
  11. spell — letters
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. spell — a short time
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. toast — bread
  17. snap — to click
  18. toast — the most admired

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