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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: shower · lie · fork · land · bowl · calf · straw · mate

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  15. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. shower — to wash
  4. mate — a friend
  5. mate — to breed
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. mate — a partner
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. land — a country
  13. fork — in a road
  14. straw — to clutch at straws
  15. lie — an untruth
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. land — ground
  19. lie — to recline
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. land — to come down
  24. straw — a straw man

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