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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: pound · cabinet · mouse · stick · rush · wave · plane · key

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  20. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. pound — a weight
  3. mouse — for a computer
  4. key — the most important part
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. key — in music
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. key — for a lock
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. plane — a tool
  13. wave — a sudden rise
  14. rush — hurry
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. wave — of the sea
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. plane — in geometry

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