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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: cabinet · mug · board · file · present · net · suit · wave

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — a gift
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. net — in sport
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. present — there
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. file — a line of people
  11. net — for catching
  12. file — a document
  13. mug — a cup
  14. file — a tool
  15. mug — to rob
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. net — after costs
  18. mug — a face
  19. suit — to fit
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. board — a committee
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. suit — in cards
  24. suit — clothes

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