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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  12. Have you met the new head ________________?
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. drill — the tool
  3. squash — to crush
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — a practice
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. squash — the sport
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. suit — clothes
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. craft — a skill
  14. stand — for spectators
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. drill — army training
  17. stand — to bear
  18. suit — in cards
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. suit — to fit
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. craft — boats
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. squash — the vegetable

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