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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: chair · firm · spell · chest · bank · rest · pop · bay

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. spell — magic
  3. bank — of a river
  4. chest — a box
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. firm — a company
  7. bank — for money
  8. rest — what's left
  9. chair — a professorship
  10. pop — soda
  11. spell — a short time
  12. rest — a break
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. chest — of your body
  15. firm — steady
  16. chest — of your body
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. bank — for money
  19. chair — a leader
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. spell — letters
  22. firm — decided
  23. pop — to visit
  24. pop — music

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