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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: wind · cabinet · shower · hide · current · rock · mine · firm

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  9. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mine — for digging
  5. firm — decided
  6. wind — moving air
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. firm — steady
  9. wind — to turn a key
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. current — happening now
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. rock — a stone
  15. mine — an explosive
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. wind — moving air
  19. rock — music
  20. shower — rain
  21. firm — a company
  22. current — of water
  23. mine — belonging to me
  24. current — electric

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