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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: bass · chair · nail · object · spell · cell · spring · safe

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. spell — magic
  4. spring — a coil
  5. bass — the fish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. chair — a leader
  9. chair — to sit on
  10. cell — a phone
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. chair — a professorship
  14. bass — low music
  15. cell — in biology
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. object — to protest
  18. spring — the season
  19. object — a thing
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. spell — a short time
  23. spring — of water
  24. object — an aim

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