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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 120 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: bass · plane · fan · hand · chair · bound · spell · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. spell — a short time
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bass — low music
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. hand — help
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. bound — tied together
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. plane — a tool
  16. bass — the fish
  17. hand — in cards
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. spell — letters
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. spell — magic
  23. bound — obliged
  24. bound — certain

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