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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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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. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Recycle the empty soda ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. field — farmland
  3. spell — letters
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. file — a tool
  6. roll — a list
  7. file — a line of people
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. can — to be able to
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bore — to drill
  13. file — a document
  14. field — a subject
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. bank — for money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. field — for sport
  20. bank — for money
  21. roll — a cake
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bore — to tire
  24. can — a tin

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