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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: hide · spell · mouse · jam · cell · kick · plane · capital

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. spell — magic
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. capital — a big letter
  7. spell — a short time
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. jam — to spread on bread
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. spell — letters
  14. cell — a phone
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. capital — a city
  18. plane — a tool
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. cell — in biology
  22. capital — money
  23. kick — in football
  24. mouse — the animal

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