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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: spell · mouse · swing · calf · snap · fall · rule · cue

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. swing — music
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fall — the season
  5. fall — to drop
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. spell — letters
  8. swing — in golf
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. swing — to play on
  11. snap — to click
  12. cue — for pool
  13. fall — to drop
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. cue — a signal
  16. rule — government
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — magic
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. cue — a hint

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