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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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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 · race · shower · mate · trunk · toast · rule

  1. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  2. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  6. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  7. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  10. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  11. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — a law
  2. calf — of the leg
  3. shower — rain
  4. mate — a friend
  5. trunk — of a tree
  6. toast — a drink to someone
  7. mate — to breed
  8. race — the arms race
  9. trunk — of a car
  10. race — humankind
  11. toast — bread
  12. mate — a partner
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. rule — government
  16. rule — to rule out
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. shower — to wash
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. race — a contest
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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