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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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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: stand · deal · snap · tear · bound · key · spell · bulb

  1. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  6. The light ________________ burned out.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  16. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  17. That was ________________ to happen.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. key — for a lock
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — magic
  5. bound — obliged
  6. bulb — for light
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. bulb — for light
  9. tear — from crying
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. key — the most important part
  13. deal — to handle
  14. key — in music
  15. bound — tied together
  16. bulb — of a plant
  17. bound — certain
  18. spell — a short time
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. snap — to click
  21. tear — to rip
  22. stand — to bear
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. tear — from crying

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