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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: content · mouse · spell · chip · lash · fine · roll · bound

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. roll — a cake
  5. spell — magic
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. bound — certain
  8. roll — a list
  9. fine — high quality
  10. bound — obliged
  11. content — the amount
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bound — tied together
  14. spell — a short time
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. content — happy
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. chip — to eat
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. fine — all right
  24. lash — an eyelash

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