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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: cabinet · board · cell · hide · fine · perch · wave · plane

  1. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. He was locked up in a ________________.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. cell — a phone
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. board — to get on
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. plane — a tool
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cell — in a prison
  14. fine — all right
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. plane — in geometry
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. board — a committee
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. perch — the fish
  21. cell — in biology
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. fine — high quality
  24. hide — animal skin

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