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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: mouse · suit · shower · land · jam · ball · kick · calf

  1. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. mouse — the animal
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. suit — to fit
  4. jam — a tight spot
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. shower — rain
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. land — to come down
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. ball — a dance
  11. land — a country
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. mouse — for a computer
  14. suit — clothes
  15. suit — in cards
  16. kick — a thrill
  17. kick — in football
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. shower — to wash
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. land — ground
  23. ball — a great time
  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