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

Word bank: spell · straw · stick · charge · chest · jam · wave · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  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. bear — the animal
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. spell — a short time
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. charge — a price
  9. spell — magic
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. chest — a box
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. charge — in control
  19. charge — electricity
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chest — of your body
  22. chest — of your body
  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