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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.

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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: cabinet · rash · ruler · lean · spell · spring · mate · rule

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. lean — to bend
  4. rule — a law
  5. mate — to breed
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. rash — a series
  9. spring — a coil
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. spring — the season
  12. rash — hasty
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. mate — a partner
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. mate — a friend
  19. spring — of water
  20. lean — thin
  21. rule — government
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. spell — letters
  24. ruler — for measuring

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