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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: spell · scale · date · chair · suit · rest · chest · spring

  1. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. chest — a box
  3. suit — in cards
  4. chest — of your body
  5. date — the fruit
  6. chair — to sit on
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. spell — letters
  10. spell — a short time
  11. scale — for weighing
  12. scale — size or range
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. rest — what's left
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chest — of your body
  17. rest — a break
  18. rest — what's left
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. spring — of water
  21. scale — in music
  22. spring — a coil
  23. spring — the season
  24. spell — magic

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