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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: calf · kid · charge · hide · ground · jam · squash · shower

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. kid — to tease
  4. ground — the earth
  5. shower — rain
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. charge — electricity
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. charge — in control
  10. squash — to crush
  11. squash — the sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. kid — child
  16. shower — to wash
  17. charge — a price
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  22. ground — a position
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. hide — to keep secret

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