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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.

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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: spell · content · bear · face · hide · staff · saw · board

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — the tool
  3. face — to point toward
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. staff — employees
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to confront
  8. spell — a short time
  9. board — a committee
  10. staff — employees
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. content — happy
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. bear — the animal
  15. staff — a stick
  16. board — to get on
  17. spell — magic
  18. face — part of the head
  19. spell — letters
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. content — the amount
  22. bear — the animal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. hide — to keep secret

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