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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
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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: leaves · drill · scale · date · calf · bat · race · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. race — the arms race
  3. drill — the tool
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. date — on the calendar
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. drill — army training
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. race — a contest
  15. drill — a practice
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. shower — to wash
  18. date — the fruit
  19. race — humankind
  20. scale — size or range
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. bat — the animal
  23. shower — rain
  24. scale — in music

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