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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 120 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: cap · object · wave · hand · staff · pass · cold · cabinet

  1. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The water is too ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — an illness
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. cold — the Cold War
  7. cap — a hat
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. object — to protest
  11. object — an aim
  12. hand — help
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. staff — employees
  15. object — a thing
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. cold — not warm
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. cap — a lid
  21. cap — of ice
  22. pass — a permit
  23. staff — a stick
  24. hand — in cards

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