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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. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The ________________ took off on time.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  11. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. shower — rain
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. plane — an aircraft
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. content — the amount
  9. drill — the tool
  10. wax — to grow
  11. content — happy
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — to roll
  14. plane — a tool
  15. wax — for sculpting
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. wax — in the ear
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. drill — army training
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. plane — in geometry
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. drill — a practice
  24. shower — to wash

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