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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: hand · cap · safe · dip · shower · cabinet · wave · fall

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  4. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. fall — to drop
  4. fall — the season
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — rain
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. hand — help
  10. cap — a hat
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. dip — to sink
  16. fall — to drop
  17. cap — a lid
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — to wash
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. hand — in cards

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