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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: deal · tear · object · spell · temple · club · season · rule

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  5. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — a law
  3. object — an aim
  4. tear — to rip
  5. tear — from crying
  6. spell — letters
  7. season — of the year
  8. club — a group
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. deal — to handle
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. spell — a short time
  13. season — in sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. rule — government
  18. tear — from crying
  19. object — to protest
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. temple — side of the head
  22. club — for golf
  23. object — a thing
  24. club — for dancing

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