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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. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  11. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. tear — from crying
  3. rule — government
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. bark — to shout
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. rule — a law
  11. march — music
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. shower — to wash
  16. deal — to handle
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. tear — to rip
  21. tear — from crying
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. march — the month

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