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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bowl · mouse · shower · stand · calf · bore · bat · land

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. stand — to bear
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. bore — to tire
  8. shower — rain
  9. land — ground
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. land — to come down
  17. land — a country
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. bat — the animal
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. bore — to drill
  24. shower — to wash

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