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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: wake · wind · fan · cabinet · rule · bowl · plane · saw

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. rule — government
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. plane — a tool
  7. saw — the tool
  8. wind — moving air
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. wind — moving air
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. wind — to turn a key
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. rule — a law
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — a trail
  24. saw — the tool

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