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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. court — of law
  4. current — of water
  5. kick — in football
  6. court — of a king
  7. rock — a stone
  8. face — to point toward
  9. court — for sport
  10. hand — in cards
  11. shower — to wash
  12. face — part of the head
  13. hand — help
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. rock — music
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rush — hurry
  19. face — to confront
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. shower — a meteor shower
  22. current — electric
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. current — happening now

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