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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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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: court · shower · foot · cabinet · kick · safe · swing · rest

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. rest — a break
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. shower — rain
  8. court — of law
  9. swing — music
  10. swing — to play on
  11. court — of a king
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. foot — a measure
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rest — what's left
  16. kick — with a leg
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. kick — in football
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. court — for sport
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. swing — in golf
  24. safe — a strongbox

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