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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.

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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: root · kid · game · season · lie · spell · staff · snap

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  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 kind of play
  2. snap — to click
  3. staff — a stick
  4. kid — child
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. kid — to tease
  9. game — wild animals
  10. season — of the year
  11. lie — to recline
  12. staff — employees
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. root — the cause
  15. season — in sport
  16. root — of a word
  17. game — a match
  18. root — of a plant
  19. spell — magic
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. spell — a short time
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  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