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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: jam · cabinet · tear · mug · coach · land · spell · suit

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Have you met the new head ________________?
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. suit — in cards
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. jam — a tight spot
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. mug — to rob
  13. tear — to rip
  14. spell — magic
  15. mug — a cup
  16. land — to come down
  17. suit — clothes
  18. tear — from crying
  19. mug — a face
  20. tear — from crying
  21. spell — letters
  22. spell — a short time
  23. land — ground
  24. land — a country

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