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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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468
Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  9. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  10. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — side of the head
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. board — to get on
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. row — a line
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. row — a quarrel
  9. leaves — lets stay
  10. board — a committee
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. rule — a law
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. row — to paddle
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. rule — government
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. board — a flat piece
  24. spell — magic

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