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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 116 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: spell · hand · rule · court · root · wound · mark · sharp

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  5. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wound — an injury
  5. root — of a word
  6. spell — a short time
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. wound — an injury
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. hand — help
  14. rule — a law
  15. rule — government
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. root — the cause
  18. mark — a grade
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. sharp — clever
  21. mark — a trace
  22. spell — letters
  23. court — for sport
  24. root — of a plant

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