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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: wound · calf · bear · charge · dip · kid · arm · shower

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. My father caught me by the ________________.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. wound — an injury
  4. shower — rain
  5. kid — child
  6. charge — a price
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. dip — to sink
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. wound — an injury
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. shower — to wash
  16. charge — electricity
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — the animal
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. charge — in control
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. kid — to tease
  24. arm — part of the body

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