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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: dip · wave · arm · file · bear · cabinet · rash · squash

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  19. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. file — a tool
  7. squash — the sport
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. squash — to crush
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. file — a line of people
  19. file — a document
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. dip — to sink
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — hasty

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