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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: row · saw · staff · rule · spell · face · rash · leaves

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. She's very handy with a ________________.
  12. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. staff — a stick
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. rule — a law
  6. staff — employees
  7. spell — a short time
  8. face — to point toward
  9. leaves — to go away
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. saw — the tool
  12. face — to confront
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. staff — employees
  16. rule — government
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. rash — hasty
  19. row — to paddle
  20. spell — magic
  21. rash — a series
  22. face — part of the head
  23. row — a line
  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