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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: spell · temple · mine · cabinet · wound · rule · tear · deal

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. mine — belonging to me
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wound — an injury
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. deal — to handle
  10. tear — to rip
  11. spell — magic
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. tear — from crying
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. rule — government
  18. rule — a law
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — letters
  22. mine — for digging
  23. temple — side of the head
  24. wound — an injury

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