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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 120 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 · lean · mouse · mine · suit · spell · fork · season

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  4. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. suit — to fit
  3. mine — an explosive
  4. suit — clothes
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. season — of the year
  9. suit — in cards
  10. season — in sport
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. spell — letters
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. lean — to rest against
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. lean — thin
  18. spell — a short time
  19. mine — for digging
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. fork — in a road
  23. spell — magic
  24. lean — to bend

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