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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: shower · lean · spell · safe · wave · fine

  1. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. wave — with your hand
  2. lean — to bend
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. fine — all right
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. spell — a short time
  8. shower — rain
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. shower — to wash
  11. fine — high quality
  12. wave — of the sea
  13. spell — letters
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. lean — thin
  17. spell — magic
  18. lean — to rest against

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