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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: snap · cue · wake · wound · bay · spell · tear · ruler

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wound — past of 'wind'
  3. spell — magic
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. cue — a hint
  6. snap — to click
  7. cue — a signal
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. wound — an injury
  10. tear — from crying
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. wound — an injury
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. wake — a trail
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. tear — to rip
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. cue — for pool
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. tear — from crying
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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