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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: staff · bore · stick · cabinet · bass · fan · bark · shower

  1. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. What do you think of the new ________________?
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  5. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. bore — gave birth
  5. staff — employees
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bore — to tire
  9. staff — a stick
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. shower — rain
  12. bark — to shout
  13. bore — to drill
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. staff — employees
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. bass — low music
  24. fan — to cool the air

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