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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: bark · chest · pass · spell · rule · face · safe · game

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  20. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  21. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  22. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. spell — magic
  2. spell — a short time
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. game — wild animals
  6. pass — a permit
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. game — a match
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. face — to point toward
  11. face — to confront
  12. chest — of your body
  13. spell — letters
  14. chest — a box
  15. bark — to shout
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. rule — government
  19. face — part of the head
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bark — a dog's sound
  22. bark — of a tree
  23. game — a kind of play
  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