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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. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. staff — employees
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. wave — a sudden rise
  8. pound — a weight
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. last — final
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. last — finally
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. perch — the fish
  19. rock — a stone
  20. game — a match
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. game — wild animals
  23. rock — music
  24. last — to go on

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