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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: rash · shower · mate · calf · staff · ruler · chip · lie

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. Have you found your soul ________________?
  7. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. rash — hasty
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. rash — on the skin
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. mate — a friend
  6. mate — a partner
  7. staff — a stick
  8. staff — employees
  9. chip — for betting
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. lie — to recline
  13. rash — a series
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. shower — rain
  16. mate — to breed
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. chip — to eat
  19. shower — to wash
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. staff — employees
  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