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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: face · arm · fork · dip · shower · bound · stick · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  14. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. face — to point toward
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. face — part of the head
  6. shower — to wash
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. bound — obliged
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. dip — to dunk
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. fork — in a road
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to sink
  22. bound — tied together
  23. bound — certain
  24. face — to confront

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