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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.

Make a worksheet

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: arm · mine · pass · bank · bark · chair · scale · spell

  1. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. bank — for money
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. chair — a leader
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. spell — magic
  11. spell — letters
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. scale — in music
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. mine — for digging
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. pass — a permit
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — of a river
  24. chair — a professorship

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