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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
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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: saw · bore · hide · bass · spell · rush · staff · content

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bass — low music
  4. spell — a short time
  5. content — happy
  6. bore — to tire
  7. bass — the fish
  8. saw — the tool
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. staff — a stick
  12. bore — to drill
  13. bass — the instrument
  14. staff — employees
  15. staff — employees
  16. content — the amount
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — hurry
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. spell — magic
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. spell — letters
  24. hide — animal skin

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