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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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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: net · bay · band · spell · ruler · fall · rule · trunk

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. fall — to drop
  11. spell — magic
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. band — a music group
  14. rule — government
  15. trunk — of a tree
  16. net — after costs
  17. fall — to drop
  18. trunk — of a car
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. rule — a law
  21. spell — a short time
  22. fall — the season
  23. net — in sport
  24. spell — letters

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