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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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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: last · content · cue · spell · swing · toast · snap · kick

  1. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — for pool
  2. spell — magic
  3. swing — music
  4. cue — a signal
  5. kick — with a leg
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. spell — a short time
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. snap — to click
  11. toast — bread
  12. last — to go on
  13. swing — to play on
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. cue — a hint
  16. last — finally
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. swing — in golf
  20. content — happy
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. last — final
  23. content — the amount
  24. spell — letters

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