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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 120 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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  22. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — the tool
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. pop — music
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. shower — rain
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. drill — a practice
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. drill — army training
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mine — an explosive
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. shower — to wash
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. pop — to visit
  18. lash — a whip stroke
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. pop — soda
  21. lash — an eyelash
  22. mine — for digging
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. coach — a trainer

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