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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: mug · safe · drill · shower · pound · sharp · last · lie

  1. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. False peace will not ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Where did you ________________ them?
  10. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  22. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a face
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. last — finally
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. last — to go on
  7. sharp — clever
  8. drill — army training
  9. mug — to rob
  10. lie — to recline
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. last — final
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. drill — a practice
  16. lie — an untruth
  17. shower — to wash
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. shower — rain
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. sharp — with an edge
  22. pound — a weight
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. drill — the tool

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