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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: mate · rush · ground · calf · pound · sharp · can · shower

  1. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  13. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. There's no middle ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — crushed
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mate — a partner
  4. ground — the earth
  5. pound — a weight
  6. shower — rain
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. shower — to wash
  9. rush — hurry
  10. can — a tin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. mate — to breed
  13. can — a tin
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. mate — a friend
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. sharp — clever
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. can — to be able to
  23. ground — a position
  24. sharp — exactly

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