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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cell — in biology
  3. ball — a dance
  4. ball — a great time
  5. court — of law
  6. nail — on a finger
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. rule — government
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — for sport
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. mark — a trace
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. court — of a king
  21. cell — a phone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. rule — a law

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