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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.

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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: saw · dip · deal · fall · bear · swing · spring · cabinet

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. She's very handy with a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. He works in a ________________ mill.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. saw — the tool
  3. bear — the animal
  4. spring — of water
  5. bear — the animal
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fall — to drop
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. swing — music
  11. spring — the season
  12. spring — a coil
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. swing — in golf
  18. dip — to sink
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. deal — to handle
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. swing — to play on

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