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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 · straw · shower · club · wave · bear · safe · hide

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  4. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. How do you ________________ your surname?
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. club — for golf
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. straw — to clutch at straws
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. wave — with your hand
  7. club — a group
  8. bear — the animal
  9. spell — magic
  10. spell — a short time
  11. straw — dry grass
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. club — for dancing
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. bear — the animal
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. shower — to wash
  22. spell — letters
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. bear — to put up with

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