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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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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: fall · safe · shower · pass · squash · lash

  1. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  5. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — to lash out
  2. fall — to drop
  3. squash — to crush
  4. squash — the sport
  5. pass — to spend time
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. pass — a permit
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. shower — rain
  11. fall — to drop
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. lash — a whip stroke
  15. fall — the season
  16. shower — to wash
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. shower — a meteor shower

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