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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.

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: ruler · spell · leaves · wind · mate · mark · rush · last

  1. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. mate — a friend
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. spell — magic
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. spell — letters
  7. mark — a grade
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mate — to breed
  10. spell — a short time
  11. last — to go on
  12. mark — a trace
  13. wind — moving air
  14. mate — a partner
  15. last — final
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. last — finally
  18. rush — hurry
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wind — moving air
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mark — to pay attention

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