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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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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: last · spell · calf · fall · fan · mouse · hand · rule

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. fall — the season
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. rule — government
  6. last — final
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. hand — in cards
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hand — help
  13. fall — to drop
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. last — to go on
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. spell — a short time
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. last — finally
  22. spell — letters
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — a law

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