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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.

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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: hand · cold · wave · cabinet · bay · can · lie · game

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  10. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. cold — not warm
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. game — a match
  7. hand — in cards
  8. can — to be able to
  9. lie — to recline
  10. game — wild animals
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cold — an illness
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. hand — help
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. can — a tin
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. can — a tin
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  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