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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: band · safe · key · wave · shower · pound · bat · bowl

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  6. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. shower — rain
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wave — a sudden rise
  6. bat — in an idiom
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. wave — of the sea
  9. key — in music
  10. pound — a weight
  11. wave — with your hand
  12. key — the most important part
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. key — for a lock
  20. shower — to wash
  21. band — a ring
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. band — a music group

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