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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bat · key · bore · bear · spell · squash · snap · pop

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. pop — to visit
  3. bear — the animal
  4. key — in music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pop — soda
  7. squash — the sport
  8. squash — to crush
  9. pop — music
  10. key — the most important part
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. bore — to drill
  15. spell — letters
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to click
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. key — for a lock
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bore — to tire
  24. squash — the vegetable

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