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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 120 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: shower · arm · bore · pound · hand · cabinet · cap · plane

  1. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. plane — in geometry
  2. hand — in cards
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. cap — a hat
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. pound — a weight
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cap — a lid
  12. hand — help
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. shower — rain
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. shower — to wash
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. bore — to drill
  21. plane — a tool
  22. cap — of ice
  23. cabinet — a cupboard
  24. arm — part of the body

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