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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 · hide · wave · mine · nail · fall · band · foot

  1. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  11. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  24. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. mine — an explosive
  3. fall — to drop
  4. band — a ring
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. fall — to drop
  7. foot — a measure
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. band — a music group
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. fall — the season
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. mine — for digging
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. dip — to sink
  24. mine — belonging to me

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