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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: calf · spell · hide · key · content · bound · lean · cell

  1. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  21. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.

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

Answer key

  1. lean — to rest against
  2. spell — magic
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bound — certain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. key — in music
  7. content — happy
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. spell — a short time
  10. content — videos and posts
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. lean — thin
  14. key — for a lock
  15. spell — letters
  16. content — the amount
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. key — the most important part
  20. lean — to bend
  21. bound — obliged
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. cell — in biology
  24. bound — tied together

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