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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: spell · cabinet · leaves · fall · rule · drill

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. drill — a practice
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. fall — to drop
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. drill — army training
  7. fall — the season
  8. fall — to drop
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — letters
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spell — a short time
  14. rule — a law
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. rule — government
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. leaves — of a tree

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