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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: cold · season · stand · wax · cabinet · cap · spell · toast

  1. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cold — not warm
  4. cap — of ice
  5. cap — a hat
  6. wax — in the ear
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. cold — an illness
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. wax — to grow
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. spell — magic
  14. stand — to bear
  15. season — in sport
  16. season — of the year
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. wax — for sculpting
  19. spell — a short time
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. spell — letters
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. toast — bread

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