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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.

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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: snap · tear · spell · court · safe · squash · rock · cue

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. tear — from crying
  3. tear — to rip
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. spell — magic
  7. rock — a stone
  8. cue — a hint
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. squash — to crush
  11. rock — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. squash — the sport
  15. cue — for pool
  16. court — of law
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. snap — to click
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. spell — a short time
  21. court — of a king
  22. court — for sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. tear — from crying

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