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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: fan · spell · rush · mark · squash · fine · rule · cabinet

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. mark — a grade
  5. spell — a short time
  6. rush — hurry
  7. rule — government
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. mark — a trace
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. squash — to crush
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rule — a law
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. squash — the sport
  18. fine — all right
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fine — high quality
  21. spell — magic
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. cabinet — ministers

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