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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: file · cabinet · nail · saw · net · wave · rash · pound

  1. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. What do you think of the new ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. file — a line of people
  7. file — a document
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. pound — a weight
  10. file — a tool
  11. saw — the tool
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. net — for catching
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. net — after costs
  17. rash — hasty
  18. net — in sport
  19. saw — the tool
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. rash — a series
  23. rash — on the skin
  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