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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: hide · cap · spell · ground · stick · bank · jam · charge

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. There's no middle ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cap — a lid
  3. ground — crushed
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. bank — for money
  6. ground — the earth
  7. bank — for money
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. bank — of a river
  12. charge — electricity
  13. jam — to spread on bread
  14. spell — letters
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cap — a hat
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. charge — a price
  20. ground — a position
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. charge — in control
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. cap — of ice

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