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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: cap · fan · prune · can · cabinet · band · spell · spring

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  17. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. spell — a short time
  3. spring — the season
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. band — a music group
  8. prune — to trim
  9. cap — of ice
  10. can — a tin
  11. can — a tin
  12. cap — a lid
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. can — to be able to
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. spring — a coil
  17. prune — the fruit
  18. cap — a hat
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. prune — to trim
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. spring — of water
  23. spell — letters
  24. spell — magic

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