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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: pound · cabinet · present · wave · snap · deal · suit · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. present — the time now
  4. last — to go on
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. present — a gift
  7. present — there
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. pound — a weight
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. snap — to snap out of it
  12. last — finally
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. suit — in cards
  15. wave — a sudden rise
  16. suit — to fit
  17. deal — to handle
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. snap — to click
  24. suit — clothes

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