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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ruler · court · fan · shower · straw · content · bay · season

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  12. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. court — of a king
  3. shower — to wash
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. season — in sport
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. content — the amount
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. straw — a straw man
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. content — happy
  14. court — for sport
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. court — of law
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. season — of the year
  20. bay — to keep at bay
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. straw — dry grass

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