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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.

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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?

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

Answer key

  1. mark — to pay attention
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. mark — a grade
  5. mug — a face
  6. shower — to wash
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pound — a weight
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. mug — to rob

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