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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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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  14. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bank — of a river
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. root — of a plant
  8. court — of law
  9. court — for sport
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. wind — moving air
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. root — of a word
  14. wind — to turn a key
  15. wind — moving air
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. shower — rain
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. root — the cause
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. bank — for money
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bank — for money

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