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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: calf · cabinet · chest · capital · saw · shower · firm · plane

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. The ________________ took off on time.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  20. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  21. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. firm — decided
  4. chest — of your body
  5. saw — the tool
  6. plane — a tool
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. chest — a box
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. capital — a city
  12. plane — an aircraft
  13. chest — of your body
  14. saw — the tool
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. firm — steady
  17. saw — past of 'see'
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. cabinet — a cupboard
  20. capital — a big letter
  21. capital — money
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. firm — a company
  24. shower — to wash

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