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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.

Make a worksheet

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: season · wake · temple · cabinet · ball · wind · dip · hide

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  17. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. ball — a great time
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. dip — to sink
  7. season — of the year
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. temple — side of the head
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. ball — a dance
  14. wind — moving air
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. wind — to turn a key
  17. wake — a trail
  18. season — in sport
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. hide — animal skin

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