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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: firm · toast · cabinet · date · dip · rock · content · wave

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Have you settled on a ________________?
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. date — on the calendar
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. dip — to sink
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. toast — bread
  8. dip — to dunk
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. firm — decided
  11. content — the amount
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. rock — a stone
  14. firm — steady
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. firm — a company
  20. rock — music
  21. date — the fruit
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. content — happy

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