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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 120 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. shower — rain
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. court — of law
  6. shower — to wash
  7. straw — dry grass
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — to bear
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. court — for sport
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. court — of a king
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rash — a series
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. deal — to handle

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