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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.

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: shower · bass · cabinet · board · straw · saw · fork · fine

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. shower — rain
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. bass — the fish
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. board — to get on
  9. fine — all right
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. saw — the tool
  13. fork — to eat with
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. fork — in a road
  16. board — a flat piece
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. shower — to wash
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. fine — high quality
  23. board — a committee
  24. saw — the tool

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