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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: spell · bark · ball · rule · temple · arm · pass · toast

  1. When was this ________________ built?
  2. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  8. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. temple — a place of worship
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. spell — letters
  4. ball — a dance
  5. rule — government
  6. rule — a law
  7. bark — a dog's sound
  8. toast — bread
  9. spell — magic
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. bark — to shout
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. pass — a permit
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. bark — of a tree
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. spell — a short time
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. pass — to spend time

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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