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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: chip · net · lash · bear · spell · roll · content · bound

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bear — the animal
  3. net — after costs
  4. bound — tied together
  5. roll — a list
  6. lash — to lash out
  7. content — happy
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. net — for catching
  11. bear — to put up with
  12. content — the amount
  13. chip — to eat
  14. bear — the animal
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. bound — obliged
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — in sport
  21. chip — for betting
  22. bound — certain
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. spell — magic

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