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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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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. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. leaves — of a tree
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. charge — in control
  9. hand — help
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. sharp — clever
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. charge — electricity
  15. hand — in cards
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bat — the animal
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. charge — a price
  21. cabinet — ministers
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. leaves — to go away

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