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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: spell · rock · bear · bark · safe · chest · hand · firm

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. spell — magic
  3. spell — a short time
  4. chest — of your body
  5. chest — a box
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bear — the animal
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. chest — of your body
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. hand — in cards
  14. firm — a company
  15. rock — a stone
  16. bear — the animal
  17. bark — to shout
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. hand — help
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. firm — steady
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rock — music
  24. bark — a dog's sound

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