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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.

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: club · arm · object · saw · snap · spell · cabinet · bound

  1. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. That was ________________ to happen.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. object — to protest
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — letters
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. snap — to speak sharply
  8. club — for golf
  9. snap — to click
  10. object — an aim
  11. spell — a short time
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. bound — certain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. club — for dancing
  19. spell — magic
  20. object — a thing
  21. club — a group
  22. bound — obliged
  23. bound — tied together
  24. saw — the tool

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