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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: track · snap · spell · game · wave · firm · shower · lean

  1. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. firm — a company
  4. lean — to rest against
  5. spell — a short time
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. snap — to click
  8. shower — to wash
  9. track — a path
  10. game — a kind of play
  11. firm — steady
  12. spell — letters
  13. lean — to bend
  14. firm — decided
  15. shower — rain
  16. track — a song
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. lean — thin
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. spell — magic
  23. game — wild animals
  24. game — a match

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