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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: arm · bowl · fork · spell · deal · cell · stand · toast

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. spell — letters
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. fork — in a road
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. stand — to bear
  10. cell — a phone
  11. spell — a short time
  12. deal — to handle
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. spell — magic
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. stand — for spectators
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. stand — on your feet
  24. bowl — a football final

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