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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.

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: hand · wave · pit · lean · hide · toast · cabinet · spell

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  6. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. spell — a short time
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. lean — to bend
  5. toast — the most admired
  6. toast — bread
  7. hand — in cards
  8. spell — letters
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. spell — magic
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pit — in a race
  20. lean — thin
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. pit — a hole
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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