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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
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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: foot · rule · temple · spell · swing · net · mark · row

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. rule — a law
  5. swing — music
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. net — for catching
  8. net — after costs
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. spell — magic
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. foot — a measure
  16. row — to paddle
  17. mark — a grade
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. spell — letters
  20. net — in sport
  21. swing — in golf
  22. swing — to play on
  23. mark — a trace
  24. row — a line

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