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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 120 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: hide · ruler · bowl · cabinet · cold · dip

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. cold — not warm
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. dip — to sink
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. dip — to dunk

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