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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.

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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 · bore · chair · chip · leaves · net · cabinet · pass

  1. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. chair — a leader
  3. chip — to eat
  4. bore — to tire
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. net — in sport
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. spell — letters
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. net — after costs
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. pass — a permit
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. spell — magic
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. pass — to spend time
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. chip — for betting
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. net — for catching
  23. bore — to drill
  24. cabinet — ministers

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