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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: game · hand · cabinet · mate · perch · spell · face · cap

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. mate — to breed
  3. spell — magic
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. face — part of the head
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hand — in cards
  8. game — a match
  9. face — to confront
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cap — a hat
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. spell — a short time
  14. cap — a lid
  15. mate — a friend
  16. hand — help
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. mate — a partner
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. spell — letters
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. perch — the fish
  23. game — wild animals
  24. face — to point toward

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