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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: rule · face · cell · race · spell · coach

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. face — part of the head
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. face — to point toward
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. rule — government
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — magic
  13. race — humankind
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. race — the arms race
  18. face — to confront

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