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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
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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: cell · temple · pop · spell · bear · cabinet · bank · chair

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  5. When was this ________________ built?
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. spell — magic
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — of a river
  5. temple — a place of worship
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. chair — a leader
  8. spell — a short time
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. pop — soda
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bank — for money
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. cell — a phone
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. cell — in biology
  17. bank — for money
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. bear — the animal
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. pop — music
  24. spell — letters

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