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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 · cabinet · current · pitcher · wave · game · lean · face

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. lean — to rest against
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. lean — to bend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. current — happening now
  9. dip — to dunk
  10. game — a match
  11. dip — a sauce
  12. current — electric
  13. face — part of the head
  14. game — wild animals
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. face — to point toward
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. current — of water
  22. face — to confront
  23. lean — thin
  24. cabinet — ministers

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