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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 · mug · rule · mark · deal · roll · chest · shower

  1. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a trace
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. mark — a grade
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. mug — a cup
  6. rule — government
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. chest — of your body
  9. mug — to rob
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. roll — a cake
  12. shower — rain
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. roll — a list
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. mug — a face
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rule — a law
  21. chest — a box
  22. chest — of your body
  23. deal — to handle
  24. calf — of the leg

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