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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: straw · racket · shower · calf · drill · mouse · bark · pop

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bark — to shout
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. drill — a practice
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. bark — of a tree
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. drill — army training
  12. pop — to visit
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. drill — the tool
  15. pop — soda
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pop — music
  20. shower — to wash
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bark — a dog's sound
  24. straw — dry grass

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