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

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  14. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. I'll be taking the ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spell — magic
  6. rest — what's left
  7. degree — an amount
  8. root — the cause
  9. tube — in a tire
  10. rule — a law
  11. root — of a plant
  12. spell — letters
  13. degree — temperature
  14. rest — a break
  15. rest — what's left
  16. cell — a phone
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. tube — the underground
  19. deal — to handle
  20. degree — from a university
  21. cell — in biology
  22. root — of a word
  23. rule — government
  24. tube — a container

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