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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: chest · spell · bear · perch · suit · spring · cap · racket

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — a short time
  3. chest — of your body
  4. perch — the fish
  5. spell — magic
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. cap — a lid
  9. suit — to fit
  10. spring — a coil
  11. bear — the animal
  12. chest — a box
  13. cap — a hat
  14. perch — for a bird
  15. bear — the animal
  16. suit — in cards
  17. spring — of water
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. chest — of your body
  21. suit — clothes
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spring — the season
  24. bear — to put up with

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