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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: fall · shower · hide · leaves · content · toast · cap · calf

  1. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a hat
  2. fall — to drop
  3. fall — the season
  4. shower — rain
  5. toast — bread
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. cap — of ice
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. shower — to wash
  14. content — the amount
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. cap — a lid
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. content — happy
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. leaves — of a tree
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. fall — to drop

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