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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 116 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 · rule · fall · coach · sharp · deal

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. rule — government
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. deal — to handle
  7. sharp — clever
  8. spell — magic
  9. fall — to drop
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. spell — letters
  15. rule — a law
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fall — to drop

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