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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: sharp · stand · spring · shower · court · deal · lie · row

  1. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. It's one o'clock ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. I can't ________________ this cold.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. sharp — exactly
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. spring — a coil
  6. row — to paddle
  7. deal — to handle
  8. spring — the season
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. stand — to bear
  12. court — of law
  13. spring — of water
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. court — for sport
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. lie — to recline
  19. shower — rain
  20. court — of a king
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. shower — to wash
  23. sharp — clever
  24. row — a quarrel

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