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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: rush · arm · cell · chair · date · spell

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He was locked up in a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. Have you settled on a ________________?
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — in a prison
  5. rush — hurry
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. spell — magic
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. spell — a short time
  15. cell — in biology
  16. date — the fruit
  17. chair — a leader
  18. cell — a phone

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