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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 116 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
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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: lean · ball · cue · dip · row · snap · spell · content

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. He is as ________________ as a wolf.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. dip — to sink
  3. content — the amount
  4. row — to paddle
  5. ball — a dance
  6. spell — letters
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. ball — a great time
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. content — happy
  11. cue — a signal
  12. cue — a hint
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. row — a line
  16. cue — for pool
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. snap — to click
  20. spell — magic
  21. spell — a short time
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. lean — to bend
  24. lean — thin

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