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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: cabinet · wind · cell · foot · shower · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  10. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — moving air
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. firm — a company
  5. shower — to wash
  6. foot — a measure
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. cell — in biology
  10. wind — to turn a key
  11. wind — moving air
  12. cell — a phone
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. shower — rain
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. firm — decided
  18. firm — steady

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