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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 · lean · safe · ball · bowl · face · shower · chip

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  4. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. lean — thin
  4. face — to point toward
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. shower — to wash
  9. spell — letters
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. spell — a short time
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. chip — to eat
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. face — part of the head
  19. lean — to bend
  20. spell — magic
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. face — to confront
  23. ball — a dance
  24. chip — for betting

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