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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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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 · arm · stick · chair · perch · toast · vault · bound

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. spell — letters
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. bound — tied together
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. toast — a drink to someone
  10. spell — magic
  11. chair — a leader
  12. vault — in gymnastics
  13. bound — certain
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. toast — bread
  16. bound — obliged
  17. vault — a safe
  18. perch — the fish
  19. vault — an arched ceiling
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. spell — a short time
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. perch — for a bird

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