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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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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: squash · nail · vault · snap · key · wake · spell · leaves

  1. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  18. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — on a finger
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. key — in music
  5. snap — to click
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. wake — a trail
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. spell — a short time
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. spell — letters
  14. key — the most important part
  15. vault — a safe
  16. squash — to crush
  17. snap — to speak sharply
  18. wake — before a funeral
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. squash — the sport
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. key — for a lock
  23. spell — magic
  24. squash — the vegetable

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