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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: spell · arm · shower · pitcher · saw · mine · bowl · safe

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. He is an ace ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. saw — the tool
  3. spell — magic
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. shower — rain
  8. spell — a short time
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mine — for digging
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. mine — belonging to me
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. saw — the tool
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. spell — letters
  20. shower — to wash
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. pitcher — in baseball
  24. arm — part of the body

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