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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 116 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: rule · wave · rock · hand · spell · tear · cabinet · mine

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  12. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. He was blown up by a land ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. tear — to rip
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. rule — a law
  5. rock — music
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. tear — from crying
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — in cards
  10. mine — for digging
  11. rock — a stone
  12. rule — to rule out
  13. spell — a short time
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. spell — letters
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — magic
  21. hand — help
  22. rule — government
  23. tear — from crying
  24. mine — an explosive

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