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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: pound · calf · coach · shower · cell · deal

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Have you met the new head ________________?
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. shower — to wash
  4. shower — rain
  5. cell — a phone
  6. cell — in biology
  7. pound — a weight
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. pound — to hit hard
  12. deal — to handle
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. pound — for dogs

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