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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: fan · march · chair · rock · mug · mine · spell · bound

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  3. That was ________________ to happen.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. bound — tied together
  3. bound — certain
  4. rock — a stone
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. mug — a cup
  7. chair — a leader
  8. mug — to rob
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. mug — a face
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. spell — a short time
  15. rock — music
  16. march — music
  17. bound — obliged
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. spell — magic
  20. march — the month
  21. mine — for digging
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. march — the month
  24. spell — letters

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