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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: shower · ball · cabinet · swing · hide · bass · nail · chair

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. ball — a dance
  4. swing — to play on
  5. swing — music
  6. ball — a great time
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bass — the instrument
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. chair — a leader
  15. bass — low music
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. swing — in golf
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. shower — rain
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — the fish

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