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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. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  6. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  7. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. lie — to recline
  4. bear — the animal
  5. straw — to clutch at straws
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. spring — a coil
  8. bear — the animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. spring — of water
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. spring — the season
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bear — to put up with
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. shower — to wash
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. lie — an untruth

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