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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: straw · drill · rush · court · calf · mate · racket · shower

  1. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  22. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. shower — to wash
  8. rush — hurry
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. shower — rain
  12. drill — a practice
  13. drill — army training
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. mate — a partner
  16. mate — to breed
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. court — of law
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. court — for sport
  21. straw — a straw man
  22. mate — a friend
  23. drill — the tool
  24. rush — a thrill

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