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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.

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: mine · rush · rule · march · pit · spell · fan · wave

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. march — the month
  4. rule — a law
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. pit — in a race
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. spell — magic
  9. spell — letters
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. rush — to hurry
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. rule — government
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mine — for digging
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. march — music
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. rush — hurry
  24. pit — a hole

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