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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. deal — to handle
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. cell — a phone
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. shower — to wash
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. cell — in biology
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. band — a music group
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. band — a ring
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. hand — help
  18. hand — in cards
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. stand — for spectators

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