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

Word bank: drill · kick · racket · chair · shower · safe

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. kick — with a leg
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. kick — in football
  7. shower — rain
  8. drill — a practice
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. chair — a leader
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. drill — the tool
  13. shower — to wash
  14. drill — army training
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. chair — to sit on
  18. chair — a professorship

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