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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: face · trunk · spell · temple · key · scale · wax · rule

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  5. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  12. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. scale — size or range
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — for a lock
  5. trunk — of an elephant
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. trunk — of a car
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. face — to confront
  10. spell — a short time
  11. wax — for sculpting
  12. wax — to grow
  13. face — part of the head
  14. key — the most important part
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. spell — letters
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. scale — in music
  20. key — in music
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. rule — a law
  24. face — to point toward

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