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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: snap · spell · pass · hide · rule · bound · pop · pitcher

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. We're almost out of ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. bound — tied together
  4. snap — to click
  5. spell — magic
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. pop — to visit
  9. bound — obliged
  10. rule — a law
  11. pop — soda
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. pass — a permit
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. rule — government
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. pop — music
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. spell — letters
  24. bound — certain

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