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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 · bear · row · season · band · leaves · board · spell

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. bear — the animal
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. rule — government
  5. spell — magic
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. rule — a law
  8. rule — to rule out
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. season — of the year
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. band — a ring
  13. row — a line
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. band — a music group
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. spell — a short time
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. board — to get on
  20. spell — letters
  21. row — to paddle
  22. board — a committee
  23. season — in sport
  24. bear — the animal

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