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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: safe · net · bat · shower · dip · lie · spell · wax

  1. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  23. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. wax — for sculpting
  2. shower — rain
  3. net — for catching
  4. spell — magic
  5. lie — to recline
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. wax — in the ear
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. wax — to grow
  10. spell — a short time
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. bat — in an idiom
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — to wash
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — in sport
  18. bat — the animal
  19. dip — to sink
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. lie — an untruth
  23. dip — to dunk
  24. dip — a sauce

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