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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: nail · snap · wake · hide · spell · face

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  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. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. spell — letters
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. face — to confront
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — on a finger
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. face — part of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. wake — a trail
  14. spell — magic
  15. face — to point toward
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. snap — to click
  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