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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: wake · scale · ball · cabinet · stand · suit · rush · dip

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. dip — to sink
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. wake — a trail
  6. suit — to fit
  7. scale — size or range
  8. ball — a great time
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. ball — a dance
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. suit — in cards
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. scale — in music
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. suit — clothes
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. rush — hurry
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. wake — before a funeral
  24. stand — for spectators

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