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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Don't do anything ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. shower — rain
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. band — a ring
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. shower — to wash
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. band — a music group
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — hasty
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. rash — a series
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. calf — a young animal

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