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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: stick · object · fall · deal · chair · temple · spell · club

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. object — an aim
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. spell — magic
  10. object — to protest
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. spell — letters
  13. chair — a leader
  14. club — for golf
  15. deal — to handle
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. object — a thing
  20. fall — to drop
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fall — to drop
  24. deal — a big deal

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