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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 120 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: wake · hide · lean · cabinet · pit · lie · hand · dip

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. dip — to sink
  4. lean — to bend
  5. pit — a hole
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. wake — a trail
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. pit — in a race
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hand — in cards
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. hand — help
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lean — thin
  24. dip — to dunk

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