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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 120 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
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: spell · club · staff · saw · bass · arm · ruler · chest

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. staff — employees
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. bass — the fish
  9. bass — low music
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. staff — employees
  12. saw — the tool
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. chest — of your body
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. club — for dancing
  18. chest — a box
  19. chest — of your body
  20. spell — magic
  21. saw — the tool
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. staff — a stick
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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