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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: spell · rule · jam · wound · dip · net · coach · snap

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. spell — letters
  4. net — in sport
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. spell — a short time
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. rule — a law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. wound — an injury
  12. wound — an injury
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. rule — government
  15. net — after costs
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. net — for catching
  19. dip — to sink
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. snap — to click
  24. jam — a tight spot

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