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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · hide · content · hand · root · spell · last · rash

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. hand — in cards
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. spell — magic
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. root — of a word
  8. spell — letters
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. rash — hasty
  11. last — finally
  12. rash — a series
  13. charge — electricity
  14. last — to go on
  15. hand — help
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. content — happy
  18. root — of a plant
  19. charge — a price
  20. root — the cause
  21. content — the amount
  22. last — final
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. charge — in control

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