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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
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: snap · wake · patient · court · leaves · saw · spell · object

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. spell — a short time
  3. object — an aim
  4. spell — letters
  5. snap — to click
  6. object — to protest
  7. saw — the tool
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. saw — the tool
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wake — a trail
  19. spell — magic
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. court — for sport
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. object — a thing
  24. court — of law

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