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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · press · temple · staff · scale · rule · race · land

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  12. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. When are we going to ________________?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Did you ________________ the button?
  23. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. scale — in music
  3. rule — a law
  4. land — ground
  5. race — a contest
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. land — a country
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. staff — employees
  10. rule — government
  11. race — the arms race
  12. race — humankind
  13. spell — magic
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. staff — employees
  16. temple — side of the head
  17. press — newspapers
  18. spell — letters
  19. land — to come down
  20. spell — a short time
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. press — to push
  23. press — a publisher
  24. scale — size or range

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