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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: pop · spell · chair · bore · bark · charge · content · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. You don't need to ________________ round.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. content — the amount
  5. chair — a leader
  6. charge — electricity
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. bore — to tire
  11. spell — magic
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. pop — soda
  14. bark — to shout
  15. content — happy
  16. pop — music
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. charge — a price
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. pop — to visit
  22. charge — in control
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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