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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: club · racket · rule · spell · ruler · dip · temple · safe

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  3. When was this ________________ built?
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. temple — a place of worship
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. rule — government
  7. club — a group
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. spell — a short time
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. club — for dancing
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. club — for golf
  19. rule — a law
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. dip — to sink
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. spell — magic
  24. temple — side of the head

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