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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — hurry
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. bank — for money
  7. lie — to recline
  8. wake — a trail
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. bank — for money
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. lie — an untruth
  13. shower — to wash
  14. shower — rain
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. bank — of a river
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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