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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: object · nail · hand · spell · bear · snap · bay · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  21. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. chair — a leader
  3. bear — the animal
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. snap — to click
  6. hand — in cards
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. spell — a short time
  10. object — to protest
  11. hand — help
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. spell — magic
  15. spell — letters
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. object — an aim
  18. bear — the animal
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. object — a thing
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. bear — to put up with

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