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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.

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: calf · drill · key · land · hide · can · shower · kid

  1. When are we going to ________________?
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This piece is in a major ________________.
  4. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. land — to come down
  2. shower — rain
  3. key — in music
  4. land — a country
  5. can — a tin
  6. can — to be able to
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. key — the most important part
  9. drill — a practice
  10. drill — army training
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kid — to tease
  16. land — ground
  17. drill — the tool
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. kid — child
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. key — for a lock

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