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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: kick · season · can · spell · cabinet · straw · scale · bank

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. kick — in football
  3. can — to be able to
  4. spell — a short time
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. spell — magic
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. straw — dry grass
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. season — of the year
  11. scale — size or range
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. scale — in music
  14. bank — for money
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. can — a tin
  19. bank — for money
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. season — in sport
  22. can — a tin
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. bank — of a river

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