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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.

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: rush · last · leaves · staff · fan · cell · mark · suit

  1. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. False peace will not ________________.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  19. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. suit — in cards
  3. leaves — lets stay
  4. mark — a grade
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. rush — hurry
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. last — finally
  9. staff — a stick
  10. suit — to fit
  11. cell — a phone
  12. mark — a trace
  13. last — to go on
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. staff — employees
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. last — final
  22. suit — clothes
  23. cell — in biology
  24. staff — employees

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