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

Word bank: fall · court · mouse · chair · rush · sharp · nail · bank

  1. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  6. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  21. It's one o'clock ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. sharp — with an edge
  2. court — for sport
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. fall — to drop
  6. sharp — clever
  7. chair — a leader
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. bank — of a river
  11. fall — to drop
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bank — for money
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bank — for money
  18. court — of law
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. rush — to hurry
  21. sharp — exactly
  22. court — of a king
  23. fall — the season
  24. rush — 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