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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: staff · charge · mine · bear · jam · kid · rock · roll

  1. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  2. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. The tickets are free of ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  21. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — to put up with
  2. bear — the animal
  3. rock — music
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. bear — the animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. kid — child
  9. roll — a list
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. charge — a price
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. staff — employees
  15. roll — a cake
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. staff — employees
  18. charge — in control
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. jam — a tight spot
  21. charge — electricity
  22. rock — a stone
  23. staff — a stick
  24. mine — for digging

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