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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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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: spring · pound · snap · cabinet · spell · lie · fan · cell

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. spring — a coil
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. spring — of water
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. spell — letters
  9. snap — to click
  10. pound — a weight
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. spell — magic
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. cell — a phone
  15. spell — a short time
  16. cell — in biology
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. spring — the season
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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