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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: toast · wind · rule · calf · stand · bound · spell · cap

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. rule — government
  4. rule — a law
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. toast — bread
  7. wind — moving air
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. bound — tied together
  10. cap — a hat
  11. wind — moving air
  12. stand — on your feet
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. cap — of ice
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. bound — obliged
  17. stand — to bear
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. cap — a lid
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spell — magic
  23. bound — certain
  24. calf — of the leg

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