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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: leaves · snap · foot · bulb · spell · game

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. The light ________________ burned out.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. snap — to click
  3. leaves — of a tree
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. bulb — for light
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. bulb — for light
  8. foot — a measure
  9. spell — a short time
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. spell — letters
  15. game — a match
  16. game — wild animals
  17. spell — magic
  18. foot — part of the body

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