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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 · safe · club · fork · spell · pound · bound · lash

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. How do you ________________ your surname?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. spell — letters
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — to wash
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. shower — rain
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. bound — tied together
  14. club — for dancing
  15. bound — obliged
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. spell — a short time
  19. club — a group
  20. spell — magic
  21. fork — in a road
  22. lash — a whip stroke
  23. bound — certain
  24. club — for golf

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