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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
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: cabinet · pit · bound · hand · cell · toast · spell · game

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. That was ________________ to happen.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. spell — letters
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. toast — bread
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. cell — in biology
  8. cell — a phone
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. pit — a hole
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. spell — magic
  13. bound — certain
  14. bound — tied together
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. bound — obliged
  17. hand — help
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. pit — in a race
  22. game — wild animals
  23. hand — in cards
  24. game — a match

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