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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: pass · shower · deal · spell · kick · clip · straw · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  19. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  20. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. shower — rain
  4. spell — letters
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. deal — to handle
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. straw — to clutch at straws
  9. spell — a short time
  10. shower — to wash
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. kick — in football
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. clip — for paper
  16. spell — magic
  17. pass — a permit
  18. clip — a video
  19. straw — a straw man
  20. clip — to cut
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pass — to spend time

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