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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: cell · cabinet · race · saw · hand · shower · suit · leaves

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's very handy with a ________________.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He was locked up in a ________________.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. hand — in cards
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. suit — in cards
  5. saw — the tool
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cell — a phone
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. hand — help
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cell — in biology
  15. suit — clothes
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. race — a contest
  18. race — humankind
  19. cell — in a prison
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. shower — to wash
  22. suit — to fit
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. race — the arms race

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