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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: kick · suit · snap · cold · spell · firm · present · ground

  1. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  2. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. The water is too ________________.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — the Cold War
  2. snap — to snap out of it
  3. spell — letters
  4. ground — crushed
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. cold — not warm
  7. present — the time now
  8. firm — steady
  9. ground — the earth
  10. firm — decided
  11. suit — in cards
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. ground — a position
  14. firm — a company
  15. present — there
  16. snap — to click
  17. present — a gift
  18. suit — to fit
  19. spell — a short time
  20. kick — in football
  21. spell — magic
  22. cold — an illness
  23. suit — clothes
  24. kick — a thrill

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