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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: stand · spell · cabinet · row · fan · saw · last · lash

  1. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. False peace will not ________________.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — past of 'see'
  2. saw — the tool
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. last — final
  5. last — finally
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — letters
  8. last — to go on
  9. stand — to bear
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. saw — the tool
  14. row — a line
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. row — to paddle
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. spell — magic
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. stand — on your feet

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