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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.

Make a worksheet

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: saw · stand · fan · spell · content · bank · arm · chair

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. He works in a ________________ mill.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. content — happy
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. spell — a short time
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — the amount
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. chair — a professorship
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. bank — for money
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bank — of a river
  17. saw — the tool
  18. chair — a leader
  19. stand — to bear
  20. spell — magic
  21. bank — for money
  22. chair — to sit on
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. content — videos and posts

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