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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.

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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: board · temple · rush · content · spell · kick · fan · cabinet

  1. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  2. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  6. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  7. When was this ________________ built?
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  11. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  19. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. rush — to hurry
  2. board — to get on
  3. spell — magic
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. content — happy
  6. content — videos and posts
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. kick — with a leg
  11. kick — a thrill
  12. kick — in football
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. spell — letters
  16. spell — a short time
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. temple — side of the head
  19. content — the amount
  20. board — a committee
  21. rush — hurry
  22. fan — to cool the air
  23. cabinet — ministers
  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