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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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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: fork · shower · stick · bear · calf · straw

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  3. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. straw — a straw man
  3. straw — dry grass
  4. shower — rain
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fork — in a road
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. bear — the animal

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