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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: stock · rule · coach · arm · temple · fine · spell · trunk

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  9. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  15. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  16. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. spell — magic
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. spell — letters
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rule — a law
  9. fine — high quality
  10. spell — a short time
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. stock — a soup base
  13. rule — government
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. temple — side of the head
  16. trunk — of a car
  17. stock — goods
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stock — shares
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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