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

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. drill — the tool
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. shower — to wash
  6. root — of a word
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — army training
  9. drill — a practice
  10. root — the cause
  11. root — of a plant
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. band — a ring
  19. shower — rain
  20. club — for dancing
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. snap — to click
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. club — a group

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