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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: season · fall · date · cabinet · dip · mouse · coach · current

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. fall — the season
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. fall — to drop
  5. season — of the year
  6. current — happening now
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. current — electric
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. fall — to drop
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. coach — a trainer
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. date — the fruit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. season — in sport
  22. current — of water
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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