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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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: rash · lie · game · spell · snap · dip · saw · rest

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  9. Don't do anything ________________.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. lie — to recline
  9. rash — hasty
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. snap — to click
  13. spell — magic
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. saw — the tool
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. rest — what's left
  18. rest — what's left
  19. rest — a break
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. game — wild animals
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. rash — a series
  24. saw — the tool

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