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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: rest · cabinet · fork · spell · rule · cell

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. He was locked up in a ________________.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. rest — a break
  3. cell — in biology
  4. fork — in a road
  5. rest — what's left
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. rule — government
  8. spell — a short time
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. cell — in a prison
  12. cell — a phone
  13. rest — what's left
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. rule — a law
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. spell — letters
  18. spell — magic

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