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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: cabinet · hide · spell · shower · kick · pitcher · rash · calf

  1. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  7. Don't do anything ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — of the leg
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. spell — letters
  5. rash — a series
  6. cabinet — a cupboard
  7. rash — hasty
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. hide — animal skin
  11. spell — a short time
  12. kick — in football
  13. spell — magic
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. shower — rain
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. shower — to wash
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. kick — a thrill

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