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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 120 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: band · spell · hide · suit · content · stock · charge · arm

  1. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  2. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The tickets are free of ________________.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stock — a soup base
  2. hide — animal skin
  3. content — happy
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. charge — in control
  6. stock — shares
  7. charge — electricity
  8. charge — a price
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — a short time
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. stock — goods
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. band — a ring
  18. spell — letters
  19. content — videos and posts
  20. suit — clothes
  21. band — a music group
  22. content — the amount
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. arm — part of the body

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