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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: cap · cabinet · trunk · mouse · craft · game · shower · kick

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. That was a fun ________________.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. craft — boats
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. craft — a skill
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. game — a match
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. cap — of ice
  15. cap — a lid
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. game — wild animals
  19. cap — a hat
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. kick — in football
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. mouse — the animal

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