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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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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: deal · dip · stick · wind · cabinet · fall · cap · sharp

  1. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. dip — to sink
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. fall — to drop
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. wind — moving air
  10. deal — to handle
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — with an edge
  13. sharp — clever
  14. fall — the season
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. cap — a hat
  18. cap — of ice
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. cap — a lid
  24. wind — moving air

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