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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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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: object · spell · bowl · rush · cell · bound · snap · pit

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. bound — certain
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. object — an aim
  7. spell — letters
  8. object — a thing
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. object — to protest
  12. pit — in a race
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. spell — a short time
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pit — a hole
  17. bound — tied together
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. cell — in biology
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. cell — a phone
  24. rush — hurry

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