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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 · scale · cap · cabinet · spring · chip · lie · rock

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — letters
  5. cap — a hat
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spell — magic
  8. chip — for betting
  9. spring — a coil
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. spring — the season
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cap — of ice
  15. spring — of water
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. rock — music
  18. spell — a short time
  19. cap — a lid
  20. chip — to eat
  21. scale — in music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. scale — size or range
  24. cabinet — ministers

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