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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 120 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: nail · cap · board · temple · rule · spell · cold · pitcher

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cap — a lid
  3. board — to get on
  4. cold — an illness
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. rule — a law
  7. spell — a short time
  8. rule — government
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cap — a hat
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. spell — letters
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. cap — of ice
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. spell — magic
  24. board — a committee

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