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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.

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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: jam · deal · hide · chest · racket · spell · snap · cell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. cell — in biology
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. spell — a short time
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. deal — to handle
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. chest — a box
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. snap — to click
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spell — magic
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cell — a phone
  24. jam — in traffic

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