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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: spell · suit · prune · cap · cabinet · cell · patient · fall

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. When will it ________________ you to start?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. fall — the season
  3. spell — letters
  4. spell — a short time
  5. prune — to trim
  6. suit — clothes
  7. fall — to drop
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cap — a hat
  11. prune — to trim
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. suit — in cards
  17. cap — of ice
  18. spell — magic
  19. cap — a lid
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. cell — a phone
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. suit — to fit

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