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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: row · arm · shower · rush · wound · firm · court · march

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. My father caught me by the ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. firm — steady
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. row — a line
  5. row — to paddle
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. shower — rain
  8. firm — decided
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — part of the body
  14. shower — to wash
  15. rush — hurry
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. march — the month
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. court — of law
  20. wound — an injury
  21. firm — a company
  22. march — music
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. wound — an injury

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