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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: kid · bank · last · rush · date · calf · scale · shower

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  4. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. False peace will not ________________.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. Have you settled on a ________________?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bank — of a river
  4. last — finally
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. kid — to tease
  7. bank — for money
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. scale — in music
  10. date — the fruit
  11. rush — hurry
  12. last — to go on
  13. last — final
  14. shower — rain
  15. date — on the calendar
  16. shower — to wash
  17. bank — for money
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kid — child
  21. scale — size or range
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rush — to hurry

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