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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.

Make a worksheet

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: spell · cap · cabinet · last · fork · ruler · content · lean

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  5. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  6. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  10. How do you ________________ your surname?
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  19. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cap — of ice
  4. ruler — for measuring
  5. lean — thin
  6. last — finally
  7. spell — a short time
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. lean — to bend
  10. spell — letters
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fork — in a road
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cap — a hat
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. content — the amount
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. cap — a lid
  19. lean — to rest against
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. content — happy
  22. last — to go on
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. last — final

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