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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. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. A black ________________ roamed the forest.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. spell — magic
  3. prune — to trim
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. charge — in control
  6. wound — past of 'wind'
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bore — gave birth
  9. wound — an injury
  10. prune — to trim
  11. wound — an injury
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. bore — to drill
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. spell — a short time
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. bore — to tire
  23. spell — letters
  24. bear — the animal

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