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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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468
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 · stand · shower · hide · clip · charge · chip · mouse

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  3. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  11. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The tickets are free of ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  19. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  20. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. calf — a young animal
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. chip — for betting
  8. stand — to bear
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. chip — to eat
  11. charge — in control
  12. shower — to wash
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. charge — a price
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. clip — for paper
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. charge — electricity
  19. clip — to cut
  20. mouse — for a computer
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. clip — a video

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