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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: staff · wave · shower · race · court · leaves · dip · racket

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. shower — rain
  3. staff — employees
  4. race — humankind
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. wave — with your hand
  8. court — of a king
  9. dip — a sauce
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. court — for sport
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. staff — a stick
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. race — the arms race
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. court — of law
  21. shower — to wash
  22. dip — to sink
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — a sudden rise

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