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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: hide · rash · shower · safe · bound · season · spell · present

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  5. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. That was ________________ to happen.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. rash — on the skin
  5. bound — tied together
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. spell — magic
  9. bound — obliged
  10. spell — a short time
  11. rash — a series
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. rash — hasty
  17. season — in sport
  18. season — of the year
  19. present — the time now
  20. spell — letters
  21. shower — to wash
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bound — certain
  24. shower — rain

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