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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: chair · bay · spell · band · roll · bear · perch · cabinet

  1. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. My mare is ________________ in color.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a leader
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. perch — the fish
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. spell — letters
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. bay — to keep at bay
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. bear — the animal
  13. roll — a cake
  14. band — a ring
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bay — a horse colour
  17. spell — a short time
  18. band — a music group
  19. chair — a professorship
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. roll — a list
  22. spell — magic
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. chair — to sit on

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