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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · fine · object · cabinet · spell · roll · kick · tear

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. roll — a list
  3. roll — a cake
  4. object — an aim
  5. tear — from crying
  6. rock — music
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. spell — a short time
  9. object — to protest
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. spell — letters
  13. kick — in football
  14. spell — magic
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. kick — with a leg
  19. fine — all right
  20. tear — to rip
  21. object — a thing
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. tear — from crying
  24. fine — high quality

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