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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · jam · kick · scale · stick · date · dip · hand

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. spell — letters
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. spell — magic
  6. hand — in cards
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. scale — size or range
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — the fruit
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. scale — in music
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. dip — to sink
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. kick — in football
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. hand — help
  24. spell — a short time

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