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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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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: safe · temple · court · snap · press · spell · ruler · wind

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. When was this ________________ built?
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. Did you ________________ the button?
  22. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. spell — a short time
  3. snap — to speak sharply
  4. wind — moving air
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. temple — side of the head
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. spell — magic
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. court — for sport
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. spell — letters
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. temple — a place of worship
  17. court — of a king
  18. snap — to click
  19. press — newspapers
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. press — to push
  22. wind — moving air
  23. press — a publisher
  24. wind — to turn a key

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