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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.

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 · coach · suit · season · cabinet · rush · degree · prune

  1. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  2. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  20. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. spell — magic
  2. coach — pulled by horses
  3. season — of the year
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. rush — hurry
  7. degree — temperature
  8. spell — letters
  9. spell — a short time
  10. season — in sport
  11. suit — to fit
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. degree — from a university
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. prune — to trim
  16. suit — in cards
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. degree — an amount
  20. prune — to trim
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. suit — clothes
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. cabinet — ministers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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