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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: staff · cell · track · chest · cap · fan · key · spell

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  11. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. track — a path
  5. key — for a lock
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. chest — a box
  8. staff — employees
  9. track — a song
  10. chest — of your body
  11. key — the most important part
  12. cap — a lid
  13. cell — a phone
  14. staff — a stick
  15. cap — a hat
  16. staff — employees
  17. spell — magic
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. cap — of ice
  20. spell — letters
  21. chest — of your body
  22. track — to keep track
  23. key — in music
  24. spell — a short time

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