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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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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: object · bank · cap · rest · rule · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. bank — of a river
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. object — to protest
  5. rule — a law
  6. cap — a lid
  7. bank — for money
  8. spell — letters
  9. object — a thing
  10. cap — of ice
  11. rest — what's left
  12. rest — a break
  13. object — an aim
  14. bank — for money
  15. rest — what's left
  16. spell — magic
  17. cap — a hat
  18. rule — government

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