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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 120 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: spell · fan · stem · cap · board · squash · ruler · rule

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. stem — to come from
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. board — a committee
  6. cap — of ice
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. squash — the sport
  9. rule — a law
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. squash — to crush
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. rule — government
  16. board — to get on
  17. cap — a lid
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. spell — a short time
  21. stem — of a plant
  22. cap — a hat
  23. spell — letters
  24. fan — a supporter

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