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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: fall · safe · sharp · foot · coach · bowl · jam · shower

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  7. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  8. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  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. safe — a strongbox
  3. fall — the season
  4. fall — to drop
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. foot — part of the body
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. fall — to drop
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. foot — a measure
  17. sharp — clever
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. jam — to spread on bread
  23. bowl — to roll
  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