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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: calf · pop · wind · mug · hide · shower · game · season

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  3. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  4. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. That was a fun ________________.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. wind — moving air
  3. wind — moving air
  4. wind — to turn a key
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. season — in sport
  7. game — wild animals
  8. game — a match
  9. shower — to wash
  10. pop — music
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mug — a face
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. mug — a cup
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. pop — to visit
  20. shower — rain
  21. mug — to rob
  22. pop — soda
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. season — of the year

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