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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · last · snap · plane · pitcher · wake · game · spell

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. spell — magic
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. wake — a trail
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. plane — in geometry
  9. last — finally
  10. content — the amount
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. snap — to click
  13. game — wild animals
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. spell — a short time
  16. content — videos and posts
  17. last — final
  18. last — to go on
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — happy
  23. plane — a tool
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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