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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 116 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 · bay · clip · bowl · can · fall · pass · safe

  1. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  6. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  19. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  20. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. bowl — a football final
  4. can — to be able to
  5. fall — the season
  6. bay — to keep at bay
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. shower — to wash
  10. clip — a video
  11. fall — to drop
  12. clip — to cut
  13. shower — rain
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. fall — to drop
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. can — a tin
  18. pass — a permit
  19. clip — for paper
  20. bowl — to roll
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. safe — a strongbox

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