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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: content · spell · mate · fan · mouse · snap · prune · rule

  1. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. content — videos and posts
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. rule — a law
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — to trim
  10. mate — to breed
  11. content — the amount
  12. rule — government
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. spell — magic
  15. mate — a partner
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. snap — to click
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. prune — the fruit
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. content — happy
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. spell — letters

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