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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: cabinet · hand · face · wave · drill · bay · tube · roll

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. I'll be taking the ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  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. roll — on a roll
  2. tube — in a tire
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. tube — the underground
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. hand — help
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. roll — a list
  13. tube — a container
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. face — to confront
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. drill — a practice
  18. drill — the tool
  19. roll — a cake
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. drill — army training
  23. face — to point toward
  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