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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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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: mug · court · saw · club · mouse · shower · lie · hand

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. Where did you ________________ them?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  20. She's very handy with a ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. mouse — the animal
  3. club — for dancing
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. club — a group
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. mug — a cup
  8. shower — to wash
  9. saw — the tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. mug — to rob
  13. court — of law
  14. hand — help
  15. lie — to recline
  16. court — for sport
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. mug — a face
  20. saw — the tool
  21. club — for golf
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. hand — in cards
  24. hand — part of the body

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