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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: sharp · cold · cabinet · can · season · deal · cue · nail

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. The water is too ________________.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. can — a tin
  6. deal — to handle
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. season — of the year
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — a signal
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. season — in sport
  19. sharp — clever
  20. cold — not warm
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cold — an illness
  24. cabinet — ministers

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