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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
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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: cabinet · root · fine · rush · present · content · fan · last

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. root — the cause
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. rush — hurry
  9. present — the time now
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a word
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. fine — all right
  14. last — to go on
  15. content — happy
  16. last — finally
  17. fine — high quality
  18. present — a gift
  19. content — the amount
  20. root — of a plant
  21. content — videos and posts
  22. present — there
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. last — final

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