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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: season · chair · hand · spell · stick · capital · saw · bank

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He works in a ________________ mill.
  15. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — letters
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — of the year
  6. season — in sport
  7. spell — magic
  8. chair — a leader
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. capital — a city
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bank — for money
  13. hand — help
  14. saw — the tool
  15. capital — a big letter
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. capital — money
  18. bank — of a river
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. hand — part of the body
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. hand — in cards
  24. bank — for money

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