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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: plane · suit · cabinet · straw · cap · spell · net · deal

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. How do you ________________ your surname?
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. suit — to fit
  3. net — in sport
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. net — after costs
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. spell — letters
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. spell — magic
  10. deal — to handle
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. cap — a hat
  13. net — for catching
  14. suit — in cards
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. plane — a tool
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. suit — clothes
  19. cap — a lid
  20. cap — of ice
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. spell — a short time

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