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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rush · wave · cold · can · cabinet · lie · toast · bark

  1. The water is too ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  18. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  19. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  24. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cold — not warm
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. can — a tin
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lie — to recline
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. can — a tin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. can — to be able to
  16. rush — hurry
  17. toast — the most admired
  18. cold — the Cold War
  19. bark — to shout
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. cold — an illness
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. toast — bread
  24. bark — of a tree

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