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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 took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. My mare is ________________ in color.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. Have you found your soul ________________?
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. drill — army training
  3. mate — to breed
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. leaves — of a tree
  10. drill — the tool
  11. drill — a practice
  12. bay — a horse colour
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. swing — music
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mate — a partner
  19. swing — in golf
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. mate — a friend
  22. shower — to wash
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. swing — to play on

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