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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: pop · shower · cue · branch · calf · hide · bore · fine

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. cue — a hint
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — a penalty
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cue — a signal
  8. bore — to tire
  9. cue — for pool
  10. pop — soda
  11. branch — of a bank
  12. pop — to visit
  13. fine — all right
  14. bore — to drill
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. pop — music
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — to wash
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. shower — rain
  23. branch — a division
  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