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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: game · cabinet · cap · dip · wave · season · nail · mate

  1. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. cap — a hat
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. cap — a lid
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. mate — a friend
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. mate — to breed
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. mate — a partner
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. season — in sport
  18. game — wild animals
  19. game — a match
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cap — of ice
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — a sauce

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