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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 116 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: prune · fall · cabinet · spell · rush · fork · can · chip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. fall — to drop
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fall — the season
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. can — to be able to
  8. can — a tin
  9. fall — to drop
  10. can — a tin
  11. prune — to trim
  12. spell — a short time
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. spell — letters
  15. spell — magic
  16. prune — to trim
  17. rush — hurry
  18. fork — in a road
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. chip — for betting
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. chip — to eat
  24. prune — the fruit

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