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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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Word bank
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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 · wind · mouse · rule · present · stick

  1. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. 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. stick — a piece of wood
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — government
  4. present — the time now
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. present — a gift
  7. wind — to turn a key
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wind — moving air
  10. present — there
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. rule — a law
  17. wind — moving air
  18. 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