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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: spell · drill · dip · safe · stock · game · mug · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. stock — shares
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. dip — to sink
  6. spell — a short time
  7. dip — a sauce
  8. stock — goods
  9. mug — a face
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. drill — army training
  12. drill — the tool
  13. mug — to rob
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. drill — a practice
  16. spell — magic
  17. game — a kind of play
  18. shower — rain
  19. shower — to wash
  20. spell — letters
  21. mug — a cup
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. game — a match
  24. game — wild animals

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