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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.

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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: rest · cell · jam · deal · chair · trunk · tube · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. cell — a phone
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chair — a leader
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. tube — a container
  8. tube — the underground
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. deal — to handle
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. cell — in biology
  14. rest — what's left
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. spell — magic
  19. rest — what's left
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. rest — a break
  23. jam — to spread on bread
  24. trunk — of a tree

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