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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: wave · kid · hide · bound · cabinet · shower · bay · tube

  1. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  14. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. I'll be taking the ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. That was ________________ to happen.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  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. tube — a container
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. shower — to wash
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. cabinet — a cupboard
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  14. bound — tied together
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. tube — the underground
  17. kid — to tease
  18. kid — child
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. bound — obliged
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bound — certain
  23. hide — to keep secret
  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