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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 120 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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · dip · coach · arm · row · wind · wave · cabinet

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  11. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  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 — a sudden rise
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. row — to paddle
  10. wind — moving air
  11. wind — to turn a key
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. wind — moving air
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. dip — to sink
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. row — a line
  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