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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: wake · rash · spell · jam · snap · row · mate · deal

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rash — hasty
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. row — a line
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. snap — to click
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. mate — to breed
  13. deal — to handle
  14. spell — magic
  15. wake — a trail
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. row — to paddle
  19. spell — letters
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. mate — a partner
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. mate — a friend

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