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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: jam · spell · mate · spring · tear · bowl · cabinet · fall

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. How do you ________________ your surname?
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spring — of water
  5. spring — the season
  6. spell — a short time
  7. fall — to drop
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — to rip
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. mate — a partner
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — the season
  17. spell — letters
  18. fall — to drop
  19. spring — a coil
  20. mate — a friend
  21. spell — magic
  22. tear — from crying
  23. mate — to breed
  24. bowl — a football final

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