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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. He works in a ________________ mill.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rule — a law
  3. mine — for digging
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. deal — a big deal
  7. cue — a signal
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. cue — for pool
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. fan — to cool the air
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. cue — a hint
  15. rule — government
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. shower — to wash
  18. saw — the tool
  19. deal — to handle
  20. saw — the tool
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. mine — an explosive
  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