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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: temple · court · spell · firm · rock · shower · foot · hand

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. When was this ________________ built?
  12. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  13. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. foot — a measure
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. firm — steady
  6. spell — letters
  7. hand — in cards
  8. shower — rain
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. temple — a place of worship
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. spell — magic
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — decided
  16. spell — a short time
  17. court — of law
  18. hand — help
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. court — for sport
  21. shower — to wash
  22. rock — music
  23. rock — a stone
  24. court — of a king

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