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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.

Make a worksheet

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: rule · season · bass · shower · safe · lash · drill · march

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. rule — government
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. drill — a practice
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. march — music
  9. rule — to rule out
  10. drill — army training
  11. bass — low music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. season — in sport
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. season — of the year
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. rule — a law
  18. lash — to lash out
  19. march — the month
  20. bass — the fish
  21. march — the month
  22. shower — rain
  23. drill — the tool
  24. lash — an eyelash

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