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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: stick · cell · spell · foot · rule · bear · temple · pop

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. foot — a measure
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. pop — music
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. cell — a phone
  9. bear — the animal
  10. spell — a short time
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. rule — government
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. pop — to visit
  20. spell — magic
  21. pop — soda
  22. bear — the animal
  23. cell — in biology
  24. rule — a law

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