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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.

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: can · hide · shower · rule · calf · march · snap · rock

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  10. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. shower — rain
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. can — a tin
  6. rule — to rule out
  7. rule — government
  8. can — a tin
  9. rock — to move gently
  10. snap — to snap out of it
  11. rule — a law
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. snap — to click
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. rock — music
  18. march — music
  19. march — the month
  20. shower — to wash
  21. march — the month
  22. rock — a stone
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. hide — to keep secret

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