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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: staff · calf · shower · land · lie · roll · pitcher · cabinet

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — to wash
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. shower — rain
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. land — to come down
  8. roll — a cake
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. staff — a stick
  12. roll — a list
  13. lie — to recline
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. land — ground
  16. staff — employees
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. land — a country
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  24. roll — on a roll

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