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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 116 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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  21. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. file — a tool
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. mug — to rob
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. hand — in cards
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. mug — a cup
  16. rush — hurry
  17. hand — help
  18. kid — child
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. file — a document
  21. file — a line of people
  22. kid — to tease
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mug — a face

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