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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: spell · arm · fine · court · cabinet · chest · bank · squash

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. squash — to crush
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. fine — all right
  6. spell — magic
  7. spell — letters
  8. chest — a box
  9. chest — of your body
  10. squash — the sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. spell — a short time
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. arm — a part of something
  15. bank — of a river
  16. chest — of your body
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. bank — for money
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. bank — for money
  21. court — for sport
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. court — of a king
  24. court — of law

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