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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.

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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: fall · bay · cabinet · club · wave · mark · field · hand

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. mark — a grade
  4. club — for dancing
  5. field — a subject
  6. fall — to drop
  7. club — a group
  8. field — for sport
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. field — farmland
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. hand — help
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. hand — in cards
  20. fall — to drop
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. club — for golf
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. cabinet — ministers

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