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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: suit · object · track · band · chair · arm · spell · face

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. spell — magic
  3. suit — in cards
  4. spell — a short time
  5. band — a ring
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — letters
  9. object — a thing
  10. face — to point toward
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. track — a path
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. object — an aim
  16. track — a song
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. face — part of the head
  19. face — to confront
  20. suit — clothes
  21. object — to protest
  22. track — to keep track
  23. suit — to fit
  24. band — a music group

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