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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. Have you met the new head ________________?
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. court — of law
  3. hide — animal skin
  4. firm — a company
  5. rock — a stone
  6. rush — hurry
  7. shower — to wash
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. rock — music
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. firm — decided
  13. court — of a king
  14. shower — rain
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. cold — not warm
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. cold — an illness
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. firm — steady
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. court — for sport
  24. rock — to move gently

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