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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 120 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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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: bulb · bay · stand · face · cap · rule · spell · cell

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. I've got to change the light ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. cap — a lid
  3. spell — letters
  4. cell — a phone
  5. spell — magic
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. face — part of the head
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. face — to point toward
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. rule — a law
  13. cell — in biology
  14. bulb — for light
  15. face — to confront
  16. spell — a short time
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. stand — to bear
  20. cap — of ice
  21. rule — government
  22. bulb — for light
  23. cap — a hat
  24. bay — a horse colour

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