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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.

Make a worksheet

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: bear · bark · content · kid · can · spell · hand · mate

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  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. bark — to shout
  2. kid — child
  3. hand — in cards
  4. mate — a partner
  5. spell — letters
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. content — happy
  8. hand — help
  9. bear — the animal
  10. mate — to breed
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. can — a tin
  13. can — a tin
  14. spell — magic
  15. bark — a dog's sound
  16. spell — a short time
  17. content — the amount
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. kid — to tease
  20. bear — the animal
  21. mate — a friend
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. can — to be able to
  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