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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: court · shower · craft · rock · bark · lash · rush · firm

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  4. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. rock — a stone
  3. bark — a dog's sound
  4. craft — a handicraft
  5. court — for sport
  6. bark — of a tree
  7. shower — rain
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. firm — decided
  10. craft — a skill
  11. firm — a company
  12. rock — music
  13. rush — hurry
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. lash — a whip stroke
  16. craft — boats
  17. firm — steady
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. bark — to shout
  23. court — of law
  24. shower — to wash

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