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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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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: suit · present · lash · mate · bound · spell · snap · tear

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. mate — a friend
  4. mate — to breed
  5. suit — to fit
  6. suit — in cards
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. spell — a short time
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. tear — from crying
  13. tear — from crying
  14. present — a gift
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. mate — a partner
  18. snap — to click
  19. bound — obliged
  20. suit — clothes
  21. tear — to rip
  22. bound — certain
  23. present — the time now
  24. bound — tied together

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