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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: tear · snap · temple · cell · board · scale · suit · spell

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. spell — letters
  3. board — to get on
  4. board — a committee
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tear — from crying
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — in music
  9. cell — in biology
  10. suit — to fit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. tear — to rip
  14. spell — magic
  15. cell — a phone
  16. snap — to click
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. suit — in cards
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. tear — from crying
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. suit — clothes

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