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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: bay · stick · ground · foot · mug · cabinet · shower · mouse

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. My mare is ________________ in color.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. There's no middle ________________.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. What do you think of the new ________________?
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bay — a horse colour
  4. ground — crushed
  5. mug — a cup
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. foot — a measure
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. ground — a position
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. bay — a part of the sea
  14. shower — rain
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. ground — the earth
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. shower — to wash
  20. mug — a face
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. mouse — for a computer

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