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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 116 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.

Make a worksheet

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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: mine · safe · deal · squash · shower · lash

  1. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. shower — rain
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. lash — to lash out
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. deal — to handle
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — to wash
  9. squash — the sport
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. lash — an eyelash
  17. squash — to crush
  18. squash — the vegetable

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