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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: mug · spell · mark · wound · sharp · lie · shower · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. It's one o'clock ________________.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mark — a trace
  3. shower — to wash
  4. sharp — exactly
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. wound — an injury
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. sharp — clever
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wound — past of 'wind'
  11. spell — a short time
  12. spell — letters
  13. mug — to rob
  14. mug — a face
  15. mark — a grade
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. spell — magic
  18. wound — an injury
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. lie — to recline
  21. shower — rain
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. mug — a cup
  24. safe — out of danger

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