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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: charge · dip · spell · content · bark · lean · bound · jam

  1. That was ________________ to happen.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. bound — certain
  2. spell — magic
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bound — obliged
  8. content — the amount
  9. charge — electricity
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. charge — in control
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. spell — a short time
  14. lean — to bend
  15. bark — to shout
  16. dip — to sink
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. charge — a price
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. content — videos and posts
  21. spell — letters
  22. content — happy
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. bound — tied together

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