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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: wake · current · snap · mug · bay · bulb · hand · spell

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  24. I've got to change the light ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. wake — a trail
  3. spell — a short time
  4. mug — a cup
  5. mug — a face
  6. bulb — of a plant
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. bulb — for light
  12. current — of water
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hand — help
  16. snap — to click
  17. hand — in cards
  18. current — happening now
  19. spell — letters
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. current — electric
  22. mug — to rob
  23. bay — to keep at bay
  24. bulb — for light

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