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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: clip · key · rule · spell · roll · ball · temple · race

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. We're on a ________________ here.
  9. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  10. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  11. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  19. When was this ________________ built?
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. race — a contest
  3. ball — a round shape
  4. key — for a lock
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. ball — a dance
  7. spell — magic
  8. roll — on a roll
  9. roll — a cake
  10. clip — to cut
  11. roll — a list
  12. spell — letters
  13. race — the arms race
  14. key — the most important part
  15. rule — government
  16. race — humankind
  17. key — in music
  18. clip — for paper
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. ball — a great time
  22. spell — a short time
  23. clip — a video
  24. rule — a law

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