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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: deal · cabinet · drill · shower · bowl · wave · object · stick

  1. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. object — to protest
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. drill — army training
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. drill — the tool
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. object — an aim
  22. deal — to handle
  23. object — a thing
  24. shower — to wash

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