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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 · deal · cabinet · straw · plane · clip · chair · arm

  1. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. My father caught me by the ________________.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — a tool
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. spell — magic
  5. clip — to cut
  6. spell — letters
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. clip — a video
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. spell — a short time
  13. chair — a leader
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. straw — a straw man
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. deal — an agreement

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