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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: plane · rock · cabinet · stand · bowl · kick · rule · spell

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. What do you think of the new ________________?
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. kick — in football
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. stand — to bear
  7. spell — letters
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — a short time
  10. rule — a law
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. rock — music
  16. rule — government
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — a stone
  19. plane — a tool
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. kick — with a leg

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