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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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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: fall · nail · shower · sharp · band · cabinet · staff · wave

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. It's one o'clock ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. sharp — exactly
  6. staff — employees
  7. shower — to wash
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. fall — to drop
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. band — a ring
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. shower — rain
  16. fall — to drop
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. sharp — clever
  19. band — a music group
  20. staff — a stick
  21. fall — the season
  22. staff — employees
  23. wave — a sudden rise
  24. wave — of the sea

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