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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: fan · cell · spell · kick · bear · rule · bass · nail

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  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. fan — a supporter
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. bear — the animal
  4. cell — a phone
  5. cell — in biology
  6. bass — the fish
  7. kick — in football
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. spell — letters
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. bass — low music
  16. bear — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. rule — government
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. spell — magic
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. spell — a short time
  23. rule — to rule out
  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