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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: racket · bark · snap · spell · object · mug · rock · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — magic
  3. object — a thing
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. snap — to snap out of it
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. rock — music
  9. bark — to shout
  10. rock — a stone
  11. shower — to wash
  12. object — to protest
  13. snap — to click
  14. shower — rain
  15. mug — a face
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mug — to rob
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. mug — a cup
  20. spell — a short time
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. object — an aim
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. spell — letters

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