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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: saw · key · fine · rest · cap · row · spell · fan

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. spell — magic
  4. key — in music
  5. cap — of ice
  6. row — to paddle
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. spell — letters
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rest — what's left
  13. saw — the tool
  14. spell — a short time
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. fine — all right
  17. row — a line
  18. key — the most important part
  19. cap — a hat
  20. fine — high quality
  21. cap — a lid
  22. rest — a break
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. key — for a lock

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