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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: ruler · cabinet · pop · net · rock · present · hand · wave

  1. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. net — after costs
  3. wave — of the sea
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. hand — help
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. pop — to visit
  8. present — a gift
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. net — in sport
  12. present — the time now
  13. pop — music
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. net — for catching
  17. present — there
  18. rock — music
  19. hand — in cards
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. wave — a sudden rise
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. pop — soda
  24. cabinet — ministers

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