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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: safe · chair · arm · spell · tear · band · stick · ball

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. ball — a dance
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. chair — a professorship
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. tear — to rip
  9. spell — a short time
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. tear — from crying
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a leader
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. band — a music group
  19. ball — a great time
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. tear — from crying
  23. spell — magic
  24. band — a ring

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