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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.

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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: drill · wave · shower · pitcher · patient · safe · race · face

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He is an ace ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. race — a contest
  2. face — to confront
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. race — humankind
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. drill — the tool
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. drill — a practice
  11. face — to point toward
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. race — the arms race
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. shower — to wash
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. shower — rain
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — army training
  21. pitcher — in baseball
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. face — part of the head
  24. safe — out of danger

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