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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 dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. When was this ________________ built?
  5. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. saw — the tool
  4. temple — a place of worship
  5. last — finally
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mug — a cup
  8. bank — for money
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. row — a line
  11. last — final
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. bank — of a river
  15. bank — for money
  16. shower — to wash
  17. mug — to rob
  18. row — to paddle
  19. saw — the tool
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — a face
  23. last — to go on
  24. calf — of the leg

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