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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
468
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 · court · bulb · bark · spell · present · rest · can

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. spell — letters
  4. rest — what's left
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. rest — what's left
  7. present — there
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — to shout
  10. can — a tin
  11. spell — magic
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rest — a break
  16. bulb — for light
  17. court — for sport
  18. can — a tin
  19. present — the time now
  20. court — of law
  21. court — of a king
  22. snap — to click
  23. bulb — for light
  24. can — to be able to

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