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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: bank · rush · bay · spell · season · cabinet · chest · hand

  1. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. hand — help
  5. season — of the year
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bank — for money
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. hand — in cards
  11. spell — magic
  12. chest — of your body
  13. bank — of a river
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. rush — hurry
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. spell — a short time
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. chest — of your body
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. season — in sport
  23. spell — letters
  24. bank — for money

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