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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  4. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. board — a flat piece
  4. squash — the vegetable
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. wake — a trail
  7. board — a committee
  8. squash — the sport
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. squash — to crush
  11. can — to be able to
  12. degree — an amount
  13. can — a tin
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. board — to get on
  17. degree — from a university
  18. degree — temperature
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. shower — to wash
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. can — a tin
  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