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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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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 · fan · wake · squash · snap · shower · pass · cabinet

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. shower — rain
  4. spell — letters
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. shower — to wash
  8. squash — the sport
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — magic
  11. wake — a trail
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pass — a permit
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. snap — to click

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