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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: straw · shower · current · nail · foot · perch · jam · cabinet

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  4. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  13. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. nail — on a finger
  4. jam — in traffic
  5. current — electric
  6. shower — to wash
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. foot — a measure
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. straw — to clutch at straws
  13. current — of water
  14. current — happening now
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. perch — the fish
  21. shower — rain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. jam — a tight spot
  24. perch — for a bird

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