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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: bay · shower · saw · track · can · rule · ball · calf

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. My mare is ________________ in color.
  6. He works in a ________________ mill.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. track — to keep track
  3. bay — a part of the sea
  4. shower — rain
  5. bay — a horse colour
  6. saw — the tool
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rule — government
  10. can — a tin
  11. track — a song
  12. ball — a great time
  13. track — a path
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. saw — the tool
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. can — a tin
  20. rule — a law
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. shower — to wash
  24. calf — of the leg

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