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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: shower · chip · court · pound · spell · cabinet · rush · lean

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. That must've been a ________________.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. pound — a weight
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. chip — for betting
  6. court — of a king
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. shower — rain
  9. spell — magic
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. cabinet — a cupboard
  14. court — of law
  15. rush — a thrill
  16. shower — to wash
  17. court — for sport
  18. lean — to bend
  19. rush — hurry
  20. chip — to eat
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. spell — letters
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. rush — to hurry

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