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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  8. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. This piece is in a major ________________.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. shower — rain
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. bowl — to roll
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. bulb — for light
  11. fine — all right
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — for a lock
  16. saw — the tool
  17. key — the most important part
  18. key — in music
  19. fine — high quality
  20. bulb — for light
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. saw — the tool
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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