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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: roll · arm · deal · shower · jam · lean · hand · cabinet

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. lean — to bend
  4. shower — to wash
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. deal — to handle
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hand — help
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. lean — thin
  16. lean — to rest against
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. roll — a cake
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. shower — rain
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. roll — a list

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