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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — to wash
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. drill — the tool
  7. squash — to crush
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pound — to hit hard
  11. shower — rain
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. drill — a practice
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. drill — army training
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. pound — for dogs

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