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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
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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 · mark · tear · bear · arm · pitcher · present · spell

  1. My father caught me by the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. spell — magic
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spell — letters
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. present — the time now
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. tear — from crying
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bear — the animal
  13. mark — a trace
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. tear — to rip
  16. mark — a grade
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. charge — electricity
  19. present — a gift
  20. tear — from crying
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. present — there
  24. bear — to put up with

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