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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: bear · cabinet · toast · cap · can · dip · wake · fine

  1. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  14. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. bear — the animal
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. fine — all right
  6. wake — a trail
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. can — a tin
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — before a funeral
  14. dip — to sink
  15. can — to be able to
  16. can — a tin
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. cap — of ice
  19. bear — the animal
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. dip — a sauce
  23. toast — bread
  24. fine — high quality

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