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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: chest · spell · mouse · chair · tube · mug · squash · arm

  1. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. spell — magic
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chair — a leader
  6. spell — letters
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. chest — a box
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. mug — a face
  12. mug — to rob
  13. mug — a cup
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. tube — the underground
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. squash — the vegetable
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. chest — of your body
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. squash — the sport
  23. spell — a short time
  24. tube — a container

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