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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.

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: dip · field · wake · cabinet · mine · fall · saw · racket

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  18. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. dip — to sink
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. field — for sport
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. fall — to drop
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. mine — for digging
  12. wake — a trail
  13. saw — the tool
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. fall — to drop
  17. field — a subject
  18. fall — the season
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. field — farmland

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