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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 120 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.

Make a worksheet

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: fork · shower · leaves · calf · wound · plane · bear · ball

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. The ________________ took off on time.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The train ________________ at six o'clock.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. shower — rain
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. wound — an injury
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. fork — in a road
  11. ball — a dance
  12. plane — a tool
  13. ball — a great time
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. bear — the animal
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. bear — the animal
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. shower — to wash
  20. plane — an aircraft
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. wound — past of 'wind'
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. leaves — to go away

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