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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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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: board · chest · cabinet · file · wave · ruler · mouse · pound

  1. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  12. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  13. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. file — a tool
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. chest — of your body
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. board — a committee
  10. pound — a weight
  11. ruler — a monarch
  12. chest — of your body
  13. file — a line of people
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. chest — a box
  16. file — a document
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. board — to get on

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