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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: toast · perch · cabinet · mine · fan · wake · rule · fork

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. wake — a trail
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. rule — government
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. perch — the fish
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rule — a law
  19. fork — in a road
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. mine — for digging
  23. toast — bread
  24. fan — a supporter

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