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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: spell · staff · date · temple · coach · charge · drill · bat

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. charge — a price
  4. staff — employees
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — magic
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. drill — a practice
  10. staff — a stick
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. charge — in control
  16. date — the fruit
  17. charge — electricity
  18. drill — the tool
  19. staff — employees
  20. bat — for baseball
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. drill — army training
  23. bat — the animal
  24. spell — a short time

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