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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 · bound · pop · cabinet · game · calf · charge · lie

  1. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. That was ________________ to happen.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. What do you think of the new ________________?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — a cupboard
  2. pop — soda
  3. lie — an untruth
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. game — wild animals
  6. charge — a price
  7. shower — rain
  8. bound — certain
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. charge — electricity
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. charge — in control
  13. bound — obliged
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. shower — to wash
  16. bound — tied together
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. pop — to visit
  20. game — a match
  21. pop — music
  22. lie — to recline
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. lie — an untruth

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