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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: wave · arm · rash · file · trunk · pound · toast · fine

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  8. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  9. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. pound — a weight
  4. file — a document
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. trunk — of an elephant
  8. wave — a sudden rise
  9. toast — bread
  10. fine — high quality
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. fine — all right
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. rash — a series
  17. file — a tool
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. file — a line of people
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. rash — hasty
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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