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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 · squash · foot · arm · cap · saw · band · staff

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. saw — the tool
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. saw — the tool
  7. spell — a short time
  8. band — a ring
  9. staff — a stick
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. spell — magic
  12. spell — letters
  13. staff — employees
  14. cap — a lid
  15. squash — to crush
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. cap — a hat
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. staff — employees
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. band — a music group
  23. cap — of ice
  24. foot — the bottom

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