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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: cabinet · cell · drill · wake · wave · pop · lie · pitcher

  1. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. wake — a trail
  4. pop — soda
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. pop — to visit
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cell — a phone
  16. pop — music
  17. drill — a practice
  18. lie — to recline
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. drill — army training
  23. drill — the tool
  24. pitcher — a jug

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