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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: mine · roll · cabinet · safe · shower · spell · dip · court

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What do you think of the new ________________?
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. spell — a short time
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. mine — belonging to me
  9. dip — to sink
  10. mine — for digging
  11. court — for sport
  12. roll — a cake
  13. court — of law
  14. dip — a sauce
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. roll — a list
  20. spell — letters
  21. court — of a king
  22. spell — magic
  23. shower — rain
  24. roll — on a roll

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