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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: bark · jam · bound · spell · hand · charge · nail · chip

  1. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  2. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  9. That was ________________ to happen.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — help
  2. chip — in a computer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. spell — magic
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. bark — to shout
  9. bound — certain
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chip — for betting
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bark — of a tree
  14. charge — a price
  15. charge — electricity
  16. bound — obliged
  17. bound — tied together
  18. spell — letters
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. charge — in control
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. hand — in cards
  24. spell — a short time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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