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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 124 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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: trunk · hide · squash · ruler · court · rock · shower · rush

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. That must've been a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. court — for sport
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — of a king
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. rock — music
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. squash — to crush
  9. rock — a stone
  10. shower — to wash
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. rush — a thrill
  13. court — of law
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. rush — hurry
  17. shower — rain
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. squash — the sport
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. trunk — of an elephant
  24. rush — to hurry

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