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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: last · fine · bay · shower · lie · cabinet · current · pop

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. What do you think of the new ________________?
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. current — happening now
  3. last — final
  4. last — finally
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. last — to go on
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pop — to visit
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. fine — high quality
  12. fine — all right
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. pop — music
  15. lie — to recline
  16. shower — to wash
  17. current — electric
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pop — soda
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. current — of water
  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