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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 120 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
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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: stand · pop · spell · game · snap · hide · rush · staff

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. pop — to visit
  3. stand — to bear
  4. staff — a stick
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. spell — magic
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. rush — hurry
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. pop — soda
  13. pop — music
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. snap — to click
  16. spell — a short time
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. game — wild animals
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. staff — employees
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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