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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: bear · file · snap · wake · pitcher · spell · suit · hide

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. suit — to fit
  3. suit — clothes
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. file — a document
  6. spell — a short time
  7. bear — the animal
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. spell — magic
  11. bear — the animal
  12. file — a line of people
  13. file — a tool
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. snap — to click
  18. wake — a trail
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. hide — to keep secret

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