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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: bank · scale · snap · perch · spell · nail · chair · bulb

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  9. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. I've got to change the light ________________.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. bulb — of a plant
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. scale — size or range
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. scale — for weighing
  9. perch — the fish
  10. spell — magic
  11. snap — to click
  12. bulb — for light
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. bank — for money
  15. snap — to speak sharply
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. chair — a leader
  18. scale — in music
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. bank — of a river
  22. bulb — for light
  23. spell — letters
  24. nail — for a hammer

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