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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. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. We're on a ________________ here.
  20. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. charge — in control
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. bear — the animal
  7. clip — for paper
  8. charge — a price
  9. roll — a list
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. clip — to cut
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. spring — of water
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. fork — in a road
  17. spring — a coil
  18. spring — the season
  19. roll — on a roll
  20. clip — a video
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. roll — a cake
  24. spell — letters

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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