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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 120 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 · calf · cap · kick · suit · pitcher · deal · leaves

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. When will it ________________ you to start?
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. kick — in football
  5. cap — a hat
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. suit — to fit
  8. suit — clothes
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. shower — to wash
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. suit — in cards
  16. cap — a lid
  17. deal — to handle
  18. cap — of ice
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. shower — rain
  24. deal — an agreement

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