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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: cabinet · cell · wax · spell · deal · kick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  17. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cell — a phone
  4. cabinet — a cupboard
  5. kick — in football
  6. spell — a short time
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. kick — with a leg
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. cell — in biology
  12. spell — magic
  13. wax — to grow
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. deal — to handle
  16. wax — in the ear
  17. wax — for sculpting
  18. spell — letters

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