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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: bay · spell · rule · temple · pass · fall · net · band

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. spell — magic
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. spell — letters
  5. fall — to drop
  6. rule — a law
  7. band — a ring
  8. net — in sport
  9. fall — to drop
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. net — after costs
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. net — for catching
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. spell — a short time
  22. rule — government
  23. fall — the season
  24. band — a rubber band

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