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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. shower — rain
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. land — a country
  5. pop — soda
  6. land — ground
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. kid — child
  9. mug — to rob
  10. bank — for money
  11. pop — to visit
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. mate — to breed
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bank — for money
  16. mate — a partner
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. shower — to wash
  19. mug — a cup
  20. mug — a face
  21. pop — music
  22. land — to come down
  23. bank — of a river
  24. kid — to tease

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