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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: fine · fall · hide · court · chair · chip · shower · temple

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  16. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. court — of law
  4. fall — to drop
  5. temple — side of the head
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. shower — to wash
  8. court — of a king
  9. chip — for betting
  10. fine — high quality
  11. court — for sport
  12. fall — the season
  13. chip — in a computer
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. chair — a leader
  16. chair — to sit on
  17. fall — to drop
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. shower — rain
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. chip — to eat
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. fine — a penalty

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