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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 · rule · bore · staff · bat · race · spell · hide

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. bat — the animal
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. staff — a stick
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. race — humankind
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. race — the arms race
  13. spell — a short time
  14. staff — employees
  15. spell — letters
  16. rule — government
  17. staff — employees
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. bore — to drill
  20. race — a contest
  21. bore — to tire
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. spell — magic
  24. bore — gave birth

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