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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: shower · firm · craft · kick · content · fine · hand · cabinet

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. fine — high quality
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. firm — a company
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. content — videos and posts
  9. shower — rain
  10. hand — in cards
  11. craft — a handicraft
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. content — happy
  14. craft — boats
  15. hand — help
  16. content — the amount
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. firm — decided
  20. kick — in football
  21. firm — steady
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. craft — a skill
  24. fine — a penalty

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