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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: snap · wake · roll · pass · rush · file · spell · arm

  1. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  17. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a line of people
  2. snap — to click
  3. spell — letters
  4. wake — a trail
  5. wake — before a funeral
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. roll — a list
  9. spell — a short time
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. rush — hurry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. file — a tool
  15. pass — a permit
  16. roll — a cake
  17. file — a document
  18. spell — magic
  19. arm — a part of something
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. roll — on a roll

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