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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: spring · bowl · pop · kick · calf · rush · firm · shower

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  17. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. shower — to wash
  3. kick — in football
  4. shower — rain
  5. firm — decided
  6. pop — music
  7. pop — to visit
  8. pop — soda
  9. spring — of water
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. firm — a company
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. spring — the season
  17. kick — a thrill
  18. firm — steady
  19. spring — a coil
  20. rush — hurry
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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