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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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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: hide · pitch · object · cell · last · bank · spell · arm

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. My father caught me by the ________________.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. bank — for money
  3. cell — a phone
  4. bank — for money
  5. spell — a short time
  6. spell — magic
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. last — final
  9. object — an aim
  10. last — to go on
  11. last — finally
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. pitch — a sports field
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. object — to protest
  18. object — a thing
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. bank — of a river
  22. pitch — completely
  23. spell — letters
  24. arm — part of the body

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