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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: hide · bound · charge · pitcher · arm · leaves · spell · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bound — obliged
  4. spell — a short time
  5. charge — a price
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. charge — electricity
  8. bound — certain
  9. spell — magic
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. cold — an illness
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. spell — letters
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. bound — tied together
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. cold — not warm

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