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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 · shower · arm · firm · perch · row · bound · hand

  1. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. That was ________________ to happen.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — decided
  2. row — to paddle
  3. bound — obliged
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bound — tied together
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. perch — the fish
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. firm — a company
  10. row — a line
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hand — in cards
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. hand — help
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. firm — steady
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — to wash
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. bound — certain

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