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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: hide · bay · rest · rush · calf · shower · court · ground

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. My mare is ________________ in color.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. court — for sport
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. shower — rain
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. rest — what's left
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. bay — a horse colour
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. court — of a king
  13. rest — a break
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. ground — a position
  18. shower — to wash
  19. ground — the earth
  20. rush — hurry
  21. rest — what's left
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. ground — crushed
  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