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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: band · ruler · spell · temple · fall · board · cell · charge

  1. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. The tickets are free of ________________.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. He was locked up in a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. When was this ________________ built?
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. ________________ games are popular in Germany.

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

Answer key

  1. charge — electricity
  2. spell — magic
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. spell — letters
  6. fall — to drop
  7. charge — a price
  8. fall — the season
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. spell — a short time
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. fall — to drop
  13. board — a committee
  14. cell — in biology
  15. cell — in a prison
  16. board — to get on
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. band — a ring
  19. charge — in control
  20. band — a music group
  21. cell — a phone
  22. temple — side of the head
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. board — a flat piece

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