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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
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: wound · rash · snap · spell · bear · fan · present · pitch

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. Don't do anything ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spell — letters
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. present — a gift
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. snap — to click
  8. present — the time now
  9. pitch — completely
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. rash — hasty
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. bear — the animal
  14. spell — a short time
  15. wound — an injury
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. rash — a series
  18. present — there
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. wound — an injury
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bear — the animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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