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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: scale · pit · snap · spell · wave · lie · fan · clip

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. scale — size or range
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. pit — a hole
  5. spell — letters
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. spell — a short time
  11. snap — to click
  12. scale — in music
  13. clip — a video
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. clip — for paper
  19. clip — to cut
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. lie — to recline
  22. pit — in a race
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. lie — an untruth

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