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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
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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: spell · roll · sharp · bowl · chest · mug · bat · fork

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Where did you ________________ them?
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  19. It's one o'clock ________________.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. spell — a short time
  4. fork — in a road
  5. mug — to rob
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. sharp — clever
  9. roll — a list
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. roll — a cake
  13. chest — of your body
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. chest — a box
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. mug — a cup
  19. sharp — exactly
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. bat — the animal
  22. mug — a face
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. bowl — a football final

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