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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.

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: date · snap · key · present · bulb · spell · bark · staff

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  7. I've got to change the light ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. key — for a lock
  3. staff — a stick
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. spell — a short time
  6. snap — to snap out of it
  7. bulb — for light
  8. spell — letters
  9. staff — employees
  10. bark — to shout
  11. bulb — of a plant
  12. bulb — for light
  13. key — the most important part
  14. bark — of a tree
  15. key — in music
  16. staff — employees
  17. snap — to click
  18. present — the time now
  19. date — the fruit
  20. present — a gift
  21. spell — magic
  22. bark — a dog's sound
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. present — there

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