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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: spell · nail · ruler · cell · stick · hide

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. He was locked up in a ________________.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. spell — letters
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. cell — a phone
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. cell — in a prison
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. cell — in biology

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