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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: temple · cell · wake · spell · rule · pitcher · fine · deal

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When was this ________________ built?
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  17. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. temple — a place of worship
  3. rule — a law
  4. rule — government
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. cell — in biology
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. fine — high quality
  11. deal — to handle
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. temple — side of the head
  14. wake — a trail
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. wake — to stop sleeping
  17. temple — a place of worship
  18. spell — magic
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. fine — all right
  23. spell — a short time
  24. spell — letters

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