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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
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: spell · wake · bear · chip · tube · chair · object · nail

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  16. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. chip — to eat
  3. tube — the underground
  4. object — an aim
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. object — to protest
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. tube — a container
  11. object — a thing
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. chip — for betting
  14. bear — the animal
  15. tube — in a tire
  16. chip — in a computer
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. bear — the animal
  19. nail — on a finger
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. spell — magic
  22. wake — a trail
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — a leader

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