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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 116 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: bank · bowl · bear · bore · hide · wake · spell · lash

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. wake — to stop sleeping
  7. bear — the animal
  8. lash — a whip stroke
  9. spell — a short time
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. bore — to tire
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. wake — a trail
  17. bank — for money
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. bank — of a river
  24. bore — to drill

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