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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · game · wave · dip · hide · key · lash · trunk

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. What do you think of the new ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. game — wild animals
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. game — a match
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. trunk — of an elephant
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. key — in music
  10. key — for a lock
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. lash — an eyelash
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. key — the most important part
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. hide — to keep secret

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