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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: dip · suit · fall · bank · chair · bowl · nail · wake

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  4. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. bowl — a dish
  4. chair — a professorship
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. bank — of a river
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. chair — a leader
  10. bank — for money
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fall — the season
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. suit — clothes
  19. wake — a trail
  20. dip — to sink
  21. bank — for money
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. suit — to fit
  24. fall — to drop

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