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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 116 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: wave · mate · fan · bowl · hide · cell · ball · dip

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. cell — in biology
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mate — to breed
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. ball — a great time
  18. mate — a partner
  19. dip — to sink
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. wave — of the sea
  24. cell — a phone

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