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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: rule · club · file · spell · staff · leaves · root · face

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  6. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  22. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. rule — government
  3. root — the cause
  4. file — a tool
  5. face — to confront
  6. leaves — lets stay
  7. face — to point toward
  8. face — part of the head
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. rule — a law
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. root — of a word
  13. spell — magic
  14. file — a line of people
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. root — of a plant
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. staff — employees
  20. spell — letters
  21. spell — a short time
  22. file — a document
  23. club — for golf
  24. club — a group

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