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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: cabinet · snap · season · spell · rash · bank · court · date

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. season — in sport
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. season — of the year
  5. rash — a series
  6. rash — hasty
  7. bank — of a river
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. date — the fruit
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bank — for money
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. spell — magic
  17. spell — a short time
  18. snap — to click
  19. court — for sport
  20. court — of a king
  21. spell — letters
  22. bank — for money
  23. court — of law
  24. snap — to speak sharply

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