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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: row · game · wax · present · cabinet · fine · mine · wave

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. mine — for digging
  6. row — to paddle
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. wax — for sculpting
  11. fine — all right
  12. game — wild animals
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. present — there
  15. row — a line
  16. present — the time now
  17. fine — high quality
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. wax — to grow
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. row — a quarrel
  24. present — a gift

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