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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. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — rain
  4. bank — for money
  5. firm — a company
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. court — of law
  9. bank — for money
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — for sport
  12. shower — to wash
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. firm — steady
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. face — to confront
  18. face — part of the head
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. bank — of a river
  21. mine — for digging
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. firm — decided
  24. face — to point toward

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