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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: bark · coach · pass · fan · shower · spell · land · safe

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  5. When are we going to ________________?
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  13. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. bark — a dog's sound
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. coach — a trainer
  5. land — to come down
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. spell — a short time
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. land — ground
  12. bark — to shout
  13. land — a country
  14. pass — a permit
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. spell — magic
  17. shower — to wash
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. spell — letters
  22. shower — rain
  23. bark — of a tree
  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