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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: pound · shower · toast · fork · bay · mark · cabinet · wound

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. shower — rain
  4. toast — bread
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. wound — an injury
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. mark — a grade
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. wound — an injury
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. mark — a trace
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. fork — in a road
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — a weight
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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