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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: foot · cabinet · fine · wave · mate · mine · roll · deal

  1. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  8. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. Have you found your soul ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. roll — a cake
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. fine — high quality
  8. deal — an agreement
  9. mine — for digging
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mate — a friend
  15. mate — to breed
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. foot — a measure
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. deal — to handle
  20. fine — all right
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. roll — a list
  24. mate — a partner

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