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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: cabinet · current · shower · stand · dip · nail · band · date

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. current — of water
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — rain
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. current — happening now
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. band — a ring
  16. current — electric
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. stand — to bear
  20. band — a rubber band
  21. band — a music group
  22. date — the fruit
  23. shower — to wash
  24. dip — to sink

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