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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
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: ball · hand · mate · spell · rule · file · snap · key

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. mate — to breed
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. hand — help
  9. spell — letters
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. file — a line of people
  12. hand — in cards
  13. file — a document
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. mate — a friend
  16. file — a tool
  17. key — in music
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mate — a partner
  20. key — for a lock
  21. rule — government
  22. rule — a law
  23. key — the most important part
  24. ball — a dance

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