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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 · pass · bulb · fall · arm · pound · bark · cabinet

  1. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. The light ________________ burned out.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — a weight
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. bark — to shout
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. fall — to drop
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. pass — a permit
  11. fall — the season
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. fall — to drop
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. bulb — for light
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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