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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 120 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: present · shower · lean · wind · court · scale · tube · chair

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. wind — to turn a key
  3. court — for sport
  4. wind — moving air
  5. court — of a king
  6. scale — size or range
  7. court — of law
  8. present — there
  9. lean — thin
  10. shower — rain
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. chair — a leader
  14. scale — in music
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. present — the time now
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. tube — a container
  19. chair — to sit on
  20. present — a gift
  21. lean — to bend
  22. wind — moving air
  23. shower — to wash
  24. lean — to rest against

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