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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · season · safe · wave · mouse · saw · spell · temple

  1. How do you ________________ your surname?
  2. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. When was this ________________ built?
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — letters
  2. wave — of the sea
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. saw — the tool
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. shower — to wash
  7. spell — magic
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. temple — a place of worship
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. temple — side of the head
  13. season — in sport
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. season — of the year
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. wave — with your hand
  19. shower — rain
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. saw — the tool
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. spell — a short time

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