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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
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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: court · spell · nail · snap · cold · can · cap · dip

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. The water is too ________________.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. spell — letters
  5. cold — the Cold War
  6. court — of a king
  7. court — of law
  8. can — a tin
  9. can — a tin
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. cold — not warm
  12. cap — a lid
  13. snap — to click
  14. can — to be able to
  15. court — for sport
  16. dip — to sink
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. spell — a short time
  19. spell — magic
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cap — a hat
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. nail — on a finger

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