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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: cabinet · fine · land · shower · current · stick

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. fine — all right
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — rain
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. land — a country
  9. land — to come down
  10. fine — high quality
  11. land — ground
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — electric
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. shower — to wash
  18. current — of water

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