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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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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 · cell · perch · rest · board · bay · hand · safe

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. perch — the fish
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. cell — in biology
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cell — a phone
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — magic
  9. board — a committee
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. hand — help
  19. rest — what's left
  20. board — to get on
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rest — a break
  24. cell — in a prison

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