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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.

Make a worksheet

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
468
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 · chair · season · fine · tube · cap · jam · wind

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. How do you ________________ your surname?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. tube — the underground
  4. season — of the year
  5. wind — moving air
  6. spell — a short time
  7. tube — a container
  8. wind — moving air
  9. chair — a leader
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cap — a lid
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. fine — high quality
  14. season — in sport
  15. spell — letters
  16. fine — all right
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. wind — to turn a key
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. cap — of ice
  22. spell — magic
  23. chair — a professorship
  24. jam — a tight spot

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