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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: arm · fine · rest · shower · straw · rock · present · ball

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. My father caught me by the ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  8. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  15. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. arm — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. shower — rain
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. arm — a part of something
  8. rock — to move gently
  9. present — the time now
  10. present — a gift
  11. ball — a dance
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. rock — music
  14. straw — a straw man
  15. rest — what's left
  16. rest — what's left
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. shower — to wash
  19. rock — a stone
  20. rest — a break
  21. fine — all right
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. ball — a great time
  24. present — there

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