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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: shower · mouse · calf · straw · current · bowl · face · stick

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. face — to confront
  3. current — electric
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. mouse — for a computer
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. face — to point toward
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. current — happening now
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. shower — rain
  17. face — part of the head
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. current — of water
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. shower — to wash
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. bowl — to roll

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