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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: deal · charge · lash · cue · spring · hide · spell · cold

  1. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. The water is too ________________.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — in control
  2. spring — a coil
  3. charge — electricity
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. spring — the season
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spell — magic
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. spell — letters
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. charge — a price
  20. cold — an illness
  21. cold — not warm
  22. cue — a hint
  23. spring — of water
  24. lash — an eyelash

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