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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cell · fork · hide · last · mouse · bark · game · spell

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  21. False peace will not ________________.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. fork — in a road
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bark — to shout
  5. last — finally
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. game — wild animals
  12. spell — a short time
  13. game — a match
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. spell — letters
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. game — a kind of play
  21. last — to go on
  22. cell — in biology
  23. spell — magic
  24. last — final

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