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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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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: wave · rule · spring · calf · shower · toast · kid · fine

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. spring — of water
  5. shower — to wash
  6. kid — to tease
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. spring — a coil
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. spring — the season
  15. rule — government
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. fine — all right
  19. rule — a law
  20. toast — bread
  21. fine — a penalty
  22. kid — child
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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