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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · spell · shower · mouse · fine · season · patient · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. How do you ________________ your surname?
  20. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. shower — rain
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fine — all right
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. season — in sport
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. spell — magic
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. shower — to wash
  19. spell — letters
  20. spell — a short time
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fine — high quality
  23. season — of the year
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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