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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.

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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 · cue · saw · cabinet · chest · bay · bound · fine

  1. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. That was ________________ to happen.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  13. She's very handy with a ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. bound — certain
  3. fine — high quality
  4. saw — the tool
  5. shower — rain
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. cue — a signal
  9. cue — for pool
  10. chest — of your body
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. saw — the tool
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cue — a hint
  16. bound — obliged
  17. chest — a box
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. fine — all right
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bay — a part of the sea
  22. chest — of your body
  23. bound — tied together
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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