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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: hide · deal · roll · cap · pass · wake · calf · shower

  1. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — a big deal
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. deal — an agreement
  4. cap — a lid
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. shower — to wash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. cap — a hat
  10. cap — of ice
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. wake — before a funeral
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. wake — a trail
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. shower — rain
  19. roll — a list
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. deal — to handle
  22. pass — a permit
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. roll — a cake

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