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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · clip · band · bay · racket · safe · coach · bear

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. clip — a video
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. bear — the animal
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. bear — to put up with
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. band — a music group
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — a short time
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. clip — for paper
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. band — a ring
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. clip — to cut
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. bear — the animal
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spell — letters
  24. safe — out of danger

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