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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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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: present · perch · pass · bank · chest · chair · vault · spell

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  3. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. bank — for money
  3. pass — to spend time
  4. present — a gift
  5. chest — a box
  6. bank — of a river
  7. pass — a permit
  8. chair — a leader
  9. present — there
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. present — the time now
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — for money
  14. pass — to succeed
  15. spell — magic
  16. chest — of your body
  17. vault — a safe
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — the fish
  21. vault — in gymnastics
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. spell — a short time
  24. chair — to sit on

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