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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.

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: object · shower · fan · current · cabinet · calf · chest · suit

  1. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  5. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — of your body
  2. object — to protest
  3. suit — to fit
  4. object — a thing
  5. chest — a box
  6. suit — clothes
  7. current — electric
  8. chest — of your body
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. object — an aim
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. current — of water
  18. suit — in cards
  19. shower — to wash
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. current — happening now
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. shower — rain

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