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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: wound · band · cap · fan · spell · cabinet · lie · content

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  6. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spell — magic
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. band — a music group
  6. wound — an injury
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. content — happy
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. cap — of ice
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. spell — letters
  14. wound — an injury
  15. cap — a lid
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. cap — a hat
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. band — a ring
  24. content — the amount

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