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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 120 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: spell · mate · fan · suit · fall · object · cabinet · degree

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. degree — an amount
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. object — a thing
  5. suit — in cards
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fan — to cool the air
  8. mate — a partner
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — to protest
  11. mate — a friend
  12. spell — letters
  13. suit — to fit
  14. degree — temperature
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mate — to breed
  20. fall — to drop
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spell — magic
  23. fall — to drop
  24. degree — from a university

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