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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.

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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: bay · cabinet · spell · chest · pass · rest · drill · chair

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. chest — a box
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rest — what's left
  7. chair — a professorship
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. spell — magic
  11. chest — of your body
  12. spell — a short time
  13. rest — a break
  14. chest — of your body
  15. spell — letters
  16. drill — army training
  17. chair — a leader
  18. drill — the tool
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. drill — a practice
  24. chair — to sit on

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