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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: arm · present · game · wave · cabinet · pound · rash · mate

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Don't do anything ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. present — a gift
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. pound — a weight
  5. present — the time now
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. wave — with your hand
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. mate — a friend
  11. game — wild animals
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. game — a match
  14. mate — to breed
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. mate — a partner
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. rash — a series
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. present — there
  21. rash — hasty
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. pound — for dogs

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