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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: rest · rule · mug · shower · branch · hide · court · foot

  1. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  16. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — animal skin
  2. rest — what's left
  3. rest — a break
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. rule — a law
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. mug — to rob
  11. shower — to wash
  12. court — of law
  13. branch — of a bank
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. rule — to rule out
  16. mug — a face
  17. mug — a cup
  18. branch — a division
  19. foot — a measure
  20. rest — what's left
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. rule — government
  24. shower — rain

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