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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 116 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: spell · present · cabinet · band · rule · object · cap · season

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. object — to protest
  3. spell — letters
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — there
  6. spell — a short time
  7. object — an aim
  8. rule — government
  9. cap — of ice
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. object — a thing
  12. band — a music group
  13. spell — magic
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. cap — a hat
  18. present — a gift
  19. season — of the year
  20. cap — a lid
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. rule — a law
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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