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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 116 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.

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 · key · pass · drill · chair · file · saw · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. drill — a practice
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. saw — the tool
  5. chair — a professorship
  6. key — the most important part
  7. chair — a leader
  8. file — a document
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — a permit
  11. spell — a short time
  12. key — in music
  13. drill — army training
  14. saw — the tool
  15. file — a tool
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — letters
  18. key — for a lock
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. file — a line of people
  22. bass — the fish
  23. drill — the tool
  24. bass — the instrument

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