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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
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: mine · kid · spell · chair · mark · wake · bank · plane

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The ________________ took off on time.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. kid — to tease
  3. chair — to sit on
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. mine — for digging
  7. spell — letters
  8. bank — for money
  9. bank — of a river
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. kid — child
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. bank — for money
  14. mark — a trace
  15. chair — a leader
  16. spell — a short time
  17. wake — a trail
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. plane — an aircraft
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. plane — a tool
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. mark — a grade

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