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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 · wave · content · rule · mug · cabinet · fall · ground

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  3. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. rule — to rule out
  3. rule — a law
  4. ground — the earth
  5. wake — a trail
  6. ground — a position
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mug — a face
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. mug — a cup
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. fall — to drop
  13. fall — the season
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. content — happy
  17. rule — government
  18. content — the amount
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. fall — to drop
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. mug — to rob
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. ground — crushed

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