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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. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. shower — to wash
  4. bear — to put up with
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. current — happening now
  7. bear — the animal
  8. mate — to breed
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. row — a line
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pass — a permit
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. current — of water
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. row — to paddle
  19. current — electric
  20. bear — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. mate — a partner
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. mate — a friend

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