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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 120 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. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  5. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. When was this ________________ built?
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. mouse — for a computer
  5. row — a line
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. shower — to wash
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. temple — a place of worship
  10. bore — to tire
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. trunk — of a tree
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. shower — rain
  22. bore — to drill
  23. row — to paddle
  24. trunk — of a car

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