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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. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  12. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. capital — money
  3. bear — the animal
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — the animal
  6. wind — moving air
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fall — the season
  12. wind — moving air
  13. shower — to wash
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. fall — to drop
  19. capital — a big letter
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. capital — a city
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. wind — to turn a key

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