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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: band · bay · firm · cabinet · chest · shower · pop · lash

  1. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  20. My mare is ________________ in color.
  21. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. band — a music group
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. chest — of your body
  5. shower — to wash
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. band — a ring
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. pop — music
  13. firm — decided
  14. pop — to visit
  15. firm — a company
  16. shower — rain
  17. chest — a box
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. lash — an eyelash
  20. bay — a horse colour
  21. lash — to lash out
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. chest — of your body
  24. pop — soda

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