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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: cabinet · shower · wave · roll · tube · pit · bear · leaves

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. We're on a ________________ here.
  4. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  5. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. tube — a container
  3. roll — on a roll
  4. wave — of the sea
  5. bear — the animal
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. roll — a cake
  11. bear — the animal
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — a list
  15. tube — the underground
  16. pit — in a race
  17. pit — a hole
  18. shower — to wash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. shower — rain

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