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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.

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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: dip · ball · spell · bore · tear · snap · wound · safe

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. The King held a masked ________________.
  9. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  12. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. We ________________ up on opposing sides.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. dip — a sauce
  3. ball — a great time
  4. spell — letters
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — to rip
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. ball — a dance
  9. wound — an injury
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. tear — from crying
  12. dip — to dunk
  13. bore — to tire
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. tear — from crying
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. wound — an injury
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. spell — magic
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bore — to drill
  23. snap — to click
  24. wound — past of 'wind'

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