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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: stem · drill · key · shower · bat · toast · bear · safe

  1. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  13. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. toast — bread
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. stem — to come from
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. stem — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. bear — the animal
  16. drill — a practice
  17. key — in music
  18. stem — a stem cell
  19. shower — to wash
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. key — for a lock
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. shower — rain
  24. bat — the animal

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