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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 116 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: cell · mine · mug · hide · dip · wave · game · cabinet

  1. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. mug — a face
  3. mug — a cup
  4. game — wild animals
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. mug — to rob
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. dip — to sink
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. mine — for digging
  17. game — a match
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. wave — with your hand
  22. cell — in biology
  23. cell — a phone
  24. dip — a sauce

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