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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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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: foot · present · craft · mine · row · rash · cabinet · wave

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. craft — a handicraft
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. rash — on the skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. foot — a measure
  11. row — a line
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. present — there
  14. craft — boats
  15. row — to paddle
  16. present — the time now
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. craft — a skill
  19. present — a gift
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rash — a series
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. mine — for digging
  24. rash — hasty

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