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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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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: spell · rule · charge · land · band · bay · cabinet · rash

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. rule — a law
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. spell — a short time
  6. band — a music group
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. land — ground
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. charge — electricity
  13. charge — in control
  14. land — to come down
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. rule — government
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. charge — a price
  19. spell — magic
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. spell — letters
  22. band — a ring
  23. rash — hasty
  24. rash — a series

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