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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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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: wind · cue · bay · cabinet · shower · bank · lie · trunk

  1. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  2. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  3. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. lie — to recline
  3. trunk — of a car
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cue — a hint
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bank — for money
  10. shower — to wash
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. bank — of a river
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. shower — rain

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