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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: mouse · staff · rash · season · bear · shower · court · wave

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  18. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. shower — to wash
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. staff — employees
  5. court — of law
  6. rash — hasty
  7. shower — rain
  8. bear — the animal
  9. staff — employees
  10. court — for sport
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. court — of a king
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. season — in sport
  17. wave — of the sea
  18. rash — on the skin
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. season — of the year
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. staff — a stick
  24. rash — a series

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