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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: nail · temple · fall · spell · can · rule · foot · roll

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. can — to be able to
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. fall — the season
  8. spell — a short time
  9. rule — government
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. roll — a list
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. fall — to drop
  15. foot — a measure
  16. spell — magic
  17. rule — a law
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. roll — a cake
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. can — a tin
  22. spell — letters
  23. fall — to drop
  24. temple — side of the head

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