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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 · branch · rule · suit · land · tube · chair · mine

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. When will it ________________ you to start?
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. spell — a short time
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. suit — to fit
  6. rule — government
  7. tube — the underground
  8. suit — clothes
  9. land — a country
  10. chair — to sit on
  11. suit — in cards
  12. chair — a leader
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. mine — for digging
  15. land — to come down
  16. branch — of a bank
  17. branch — a division
  18. spell — letters
  19. rule — a law
  20. tube — a container
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. land — ground
  24. tube — in a tire

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