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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. Where can I ________________ my mobile?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pop — music
  3. wound — past of 'wind'
  4. spell — magic
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. chest — a box
  7. suit — clothes
  8. suit — in cards
  9. charge — a price
  10. charge — in control
  11. chest — of your body
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. wound — an injury
  14. wound — an injury
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — a short time
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. pop — soda
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. spell — letters
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. suit — to fit
  23. chest — of your body
  24. charge — electricity

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