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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: straw · pitcher · cabinet · current · mate · shower · calf · wave

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  7. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. current — happening now
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. straw — a straw man
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. shower — rain
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. mate — a partner
  15. wave — with your hand
  16. mate — a friend
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. current — of water
  20. shower — to wash
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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