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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: leaves · scale · dip · bore · wave · coach · cabinet · kid

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. scale — size or range
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bore — gave birth
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. kid — child
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bore — to tire
  13. scale — in music
  14. kid — to tease
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. coach — pulled by horses
  18. dip — to sink
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. bore — to drill
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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