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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: bowl · present · stick · cabinet · shower · firm · object · leaves

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  12. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  24. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. object — to protest
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. firm — steady
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. bowl — a football final
  12. leaves — lets stay
  13. firm — decided
  14. object — a thing
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. present — there
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. shower — to wash
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. present — the time now
  21. object — an aim
  22. firm — a company
  23. present — a gift
  24. bowl — a dish

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