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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 120 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: hand · spell · bowl · bear · content · land · fan · pass

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  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 — in cards
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. spell — letters
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. land — ground
  10. hand — help
  11. land — a country
  12. content — happy
  13. content — videos and posts
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. content — the amount
  18. pass — a permit
  19. land — to come down
  20. bowl — a football final
  21. spell — magic
  22. bear — the animal
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. spell — a short time

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