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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: deal · kick · calf · fall · toast · cabinet · net · shower

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. What do you think of the new ________________?
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. kick — in football
  3. fall — the season
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. shower — rain
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. net — for catching
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. cabinet — ministers
  11. deal — to handle
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. toast — bread
  14. fall — to drop
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. net — in sport
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. fall — to drop
  19. net — after costs
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. kick — a thrill
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. shower — to wash

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