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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · safe · ball · pass · bound · kid · snap · season

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. ball — a great time
  5. snap — to click
  6. bound — tied together
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. season — of the year
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. kid — to tease
  14. season — in sport
  15. kid — child
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — a permit
  18. bound — obliged
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — letters
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. bound — certain
  23. ball — a dance
  24. pass — to spend time

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