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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 120 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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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: swing · kick · court · pit · hide · face · root · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  5. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  22. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. David sat on the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. swing — in golf
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hide — animal skin
  5. pit — a fruit stone
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. swing — music
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. court — of a king
  10. court — of law
  11. kick — in football
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. pit — a hole
  14. face — to confront
  15. root — of a word
  16. pit — in a race
  17. root — of a plant
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. face — to point toward
  20. court — for sport
  21. face — part of the head
  22. root — the cause
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. swing — to play on

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