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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: snap · rest · roll · spell · bound · ruler · bear · mug

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. snap — to click
  4. rest — a break
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. mug — a face
  7. bound — certain
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. roll — a list
  11. mug — a cup
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. bear — the animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mug — to rob
  18. roll — a cake
  19. bound — tied together
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. rest — what's left
  22. rest — what's left
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. bound — obliged

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