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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: hide · bear · chip · court · wave · date · shower · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  10. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  21. Have you settled on a ________________?
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  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. foot — the bottom
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. court — of a king
  5. chip — to eat
  6. bear — the animal
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. wave — with your hand
  10. date — the fruit
  11. shower — rain
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. court — for sport
  14. bear — the animal
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. court — of law
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. chip — for betting
  20. wave — of the sea
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. foot — a measure
  23. shower — to wash
  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