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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: fork · plane · rash · shower · current · hide · kick · calf

  1. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  4. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  5. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. Don't do anything ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. fork — in a road
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. plane — a tool
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. current — happening now
  8. current — electric
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. rash — on the skin
  14. kick — in football
  15. shower — to wash
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. current — of water
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. kick — a thrill
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. rash — hasty
  23. shower — rain
  24. rash — a series

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