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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: bore · dip · suit · shower · lie · band · straw · calf

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. suit — clothes
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. dip — to dunk
  5. suit — in cards
  6. band — a ring
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. dip — to sink
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. lie — to recline
  17. shower — to wash
  18. straw — a straw man
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bore — to drill
  23. suit — to fit
  24. calf — a young 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