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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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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: scale · bank · arm · can · rest · kid · shower · straw

  1. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. My father caught me by the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. rest — what's left
  3. shower — rain
  4. can — a tin
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. can — a tin
  8. bank — for money
  9. straw — dry grass
  10. rest — a break
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. kid — child
  13. can — to be able to
  14. rest — what's left
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. bank — of a river
  18. scale — size or range
  19. shower — to wash
  20. scale — in music
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. bank — for money
  24. kid — to tease

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