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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: date · lie · mouse · tube · cabinet · prune · dip · wave

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. Have you settled on a ________________?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. tube — the underground
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. prune — to trim
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. lie — to recline
  12. prune — the fruit
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. tube — a container
  16. dip — to dunk
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. prune — to trim
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. date — the fruit
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. mouse — the animal

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