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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rush · band · hide · cell · calf · spell · rule · roll

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. rule — a law
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. band — a ring
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. cell — in biology
  9. rule — government
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — magic
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. band — a music group
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. rush — hurry
  18. spell — letters
  19. roll — a list
  20. roll — a cake
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. spell — a short time
  24. hide — animal skin

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