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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 · arm · cabinet · squash · suit · game · staff · sharp

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. My father caught me by the ________________.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. suit — clothes
  3. staff — employees
  4. spell — a short time
  5. spell — magic
  6. game — wild animals
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. staff — a stick
  12. squash — the sport
  13. suit — to fit
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. suit — in cards
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. game — a match
  18. spell — letters
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. staff — employees
  23. squash — to crush
  24. sharp — clever

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