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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: bay · fine · cabinet · cap · fall · spring · dip · foot

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  14. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  15. What do you think of the new ________________?
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. cap — a hat
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. cap — of ice
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. cap — a lid
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. foot — a measure
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. fall — to drop
  14. spring — a coil
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. bay — a part of the sea
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. dip — to sink
  22. spring — of water
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. spring — the season

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