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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: rush · roll · cabinet · season · mine · dip · stick · mate

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. roll — a list
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — to breed
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. mine — for digging
  14. dip — to sink
  15. rush — hurry
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. season — in sport
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. mate — a partner
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. season — of the year

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