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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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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: shower · charge · nail · mug · rush · court · temple · suit

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  6. The tickets are free of ________________.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  21. When was this ________________ built?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. mug — a cup
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. charge — in control
  6. charge — a price
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. suit — clothes
  9. temple — side of the head
  10. shower — rain
  11. shower — to wash
  12. mug — a face
  13. rush — hurry
  14. charge — electricity
  15. suit — in cards
  16. suit — to fit
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. court — of a king
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. nail — on a finger
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. mug — to rob
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. court — of law

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