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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 120 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: bowl · chair · leaves · stick · firm · ball · spell · chest

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. spell — letters
  3. spell — a short time
  4. spell — magic
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. ball — a great time
  7. chair — a leader
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. ball — a dance
  10. firm — a company
  11. chest — of your body
  12. chest — of your body
  13. firm — decided
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. firm — steady
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. chest — a box
  22. ball — a round shape
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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