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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: date · squash · kick · spring · spell · deal · season · cap

  1. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Have you settled on a ________________?
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. spring — a coil
  2. spell — a short time
  3. cap — a hat
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. spell — magic
  7. kick — in football
  8. spell — letters
  9. squash — the sport
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. deal — to handle
  13. kick — with a leg
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. season — of the year
  17. spring — of water
  18. cap — of ice
  19. squash — to crush
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. season — in sport
  22. date — the fruit
  23. spring — the season
  24. cap — a lid

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