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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: stick · cabinet · chest · mark · shower · board · firm · sharp

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. It's one o'clock ________________.
  3. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  18. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. sharp — exactly
  3. board — a committee
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. mark — a trace
  8. chest — a box
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. chest — of your body
  14. sharp — clever
  15. firm — decided
  16. mark — a grade
  17. cabinet — a cupboard
  18. firm — a company
  19. shower — to wash
  20. firm — steady
  21. shower — rain
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. chest — of your body

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