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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 116 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 · track · row · hide · bound · shower · fall · fan

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  18. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  19. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. track — a song
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. bound — certain
  6. row — to paddle
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. calf — of the leg
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bound — obliged
  14. fall — the season
  15. track — a path
  16. row — a line
  17. hide — animal skin
  18. calf — a young animal
  19. bound — tied together
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. fall — to drop
  22. track — to keep track
  23. fall — to drop
  24. shower — to wash

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