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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: fan · hide · row · pound · scale · straw · pass · wave

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — a line
  4. row — to paddle
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. scale — in music
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. scale — size or range
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. pass — a permit
  16. straw — dry grass
  17. pound — a weight
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. wave — with your hand

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