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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 124 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. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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. bark — a dog's sound
  4. spring — of water
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kick — in football
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. shower — to wash
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. bark — to shout
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. bass — low music
  24. spring — the season

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