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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: season · saw · cabinet · spell · nail · trunk · suit · cold

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. saw — the tool
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cold — an illness
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. suit — to fit
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. spell — a short time
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. season — in sport
  14. season — of the year
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cold — not warm
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. saw — the tool
  19. spell — magic
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. spell — letters
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. suit — in cards

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