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

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Have you found your soul ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. When was this ________________ built?
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mate — a friend
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. swing — music
  9. club — for golf
  10. mate — to breed
  11. rule — government
  12. club — a group
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. club — for dancing
  16. spell — letters
  17. swing — to play on
  18. band — a music group
  19. mate — a partner
  20. spell — a short time
  21. band — a ring
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. swing — in golf

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