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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: snap · leaves · net · season · spell · rule · pass · bulb

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. I've got to change the light ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. snap — to click
  3. net — for catching
  4. bulb — for light
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. bulb — for light
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. rule — government
  11. net — after costs
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. season — in sport
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — of a plant
  16. season — of the year
  17. net — in sport
  18. rule — to rule out
  19. spell — a short time
  20. pass — a permit
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. spell — letters

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