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

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  23. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. kick — with a leg
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — a price
  6. mug — a face
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. mug — to rob
  9. content — the amount
  10. spell — a short time
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. spell — letters
  14. mug — a cup
  15. content — happy
  16. kick — in football
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. spell — magic
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. bowl — a dish
  23. charge — in control
  24. hide — to keep secret

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