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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: dip · roll · snap · race · cabinet · bay · spell · season

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. race — a contest
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. roll — a list
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. season — of the year
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. snap — to click
  13. race — the arms race
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. spell — a short time
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. season — in sport
  19. roll — a cake
  20. race — humankind
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. dip — to sink
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. roll — on a roll

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