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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: shower · game · can · stick · track · cabinet · calf · cell

  1. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  19. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. track — a song
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. shower — rain
  6. track — a path
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. calf — of the leg
  11. shower — to wash
  12. can — a tin
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. cell — a phone
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. can — a tin
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. track — to keep track
  19. cell — in biology
  20. game — wild animals
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. game — a match
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. can — to be able to

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