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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: calf · scale · current · shower · mark · kick · cell · rest

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. rest — what's left
  8. current — happening now
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. shower — to wash
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. scale — in music
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. shower — rain
  17. rest — a break
  18. kick — in football
  19. rest — what's left
  20. mark — a trace
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. scale — size or range
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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