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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: tube · coach · spell · content · bowl · stick · snap · rule

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. I'll be taking the ________________.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. spell — letters
  4. tube — the underground
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. rule — government
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. content — happy
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. tube — a container
  14. rule — a law
  15. snap — to click
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. content — the amount
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. spell — magic
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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