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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: fall · snap · face · spell · leaves · drill · bear · mate

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. bear — the animal
  3. fall — the season
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. bear — the animal
  6. face — part of the head
  7. spell — a short time
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. spell — letters
  10. mate — a friend
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. snap — to click
  16. drill — army training
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. face — to point toward
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. spell — magic
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fall — to drop
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. face — to confront

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