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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
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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: fan · bay · drill · object · shower · club · spell · safe

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. Can you turn the ________________ on?

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. club — a group
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. spell — magic
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. drill — army training
  7. object — to protest
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. drill — a practice
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. club — for golf
  12. spell — letters
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. club — for dancing
  17. shower — to wash
  18. spell — a short time
  19. shower — rain
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. object — a thing
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. drill — the tool
  24. fan — to cool the air

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