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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.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — of the sea
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. bank — for money
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bank — of a river
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. craft — a skill
  16. plane — a tool
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. shower — rain
  22. bank — for money
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pound — a weight

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