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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: snap · spell · rest · hide · leaves · last · bowl · wave

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. False peace will not ________________.
  19. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. rest — what's left
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. spell — letters
  6. snap — to click
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. spell — a short time
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. last — final
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rest — what's left
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. last — finally
  18. last — to go on
  19. bowl — to roll
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. rest — a break
  23. spell — magic
  24. wave — of the sea

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