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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: fine · chip · squash · temple · spell · rule · trunk · coach

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  23. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. squash — the sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. fine — all right
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. squash — to crush
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. spell — magic
  11. chip — to eat
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. spell — letters
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. rule — a law
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chip — for betting
  23. trunk — of a car
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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