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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. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. shower — rain
  3. cue — a hint
  4. fine — all right
  5. ground — the earth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. vault — an arched ceiling
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. vault — a safe
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. cue — for pool
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ground — a position
  14. shower — to wash
  15. vault — in gymnastics
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. cue — a signal
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. straw — to clutch at straws
  23. ground — crushed
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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