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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: pop · cabinet · band · calf · hand · charge · kick · shower

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  10. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  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. kick — with a leg
  3. band — a music group
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. pop — to visit
  6. charge — electricity
  7. shower — to wash
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. pop — music
  10. hand — help
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. shower — rain
  13. hand — in cards
  14. kick — in football
  15. pop — soda
  16. band — a ring
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. charge — a price
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. charge — in control
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. hand — part of the body
  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