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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 116 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
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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 · calf · tube · fan · pit · shower · branch · staff

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — the underground
  4. shower — to wash
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. staff — employees
  9. pit — in a race
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. branch — of a tree
  16. shower — rain
  17. branch — a division
  18. tube — in a tire
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. staff — employees
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. pit — a fruit stone
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. staff — a stick

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