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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: arm · fine · fall · shower · band · bay · cue · cabinet

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. band — a ring
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. shower — rain
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. bay — to keep at bay
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. fall — the season
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. fall — to drop
  18. cue — a hint
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. band — a music group
  21. shower — to wash
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. cue — for pool

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