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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: deal · cold · kick · spell · wave · can · season · cabinet

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. deal — to handle
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. can — a tin
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. season — of the year
  9. cold — the Cold War
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. spell — magic
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. kick — in football
  14. cold — an illness
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. season — in sport
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. spell — letters
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. spell — a short time
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — to be able to
  24. kick — with a leg

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