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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 116 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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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: content · safe · race · coach · bay · shower · kid · bowl

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. content — happy
  4. race — a contest
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. kid — child
  7. race — the arms race
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. kid — to tease
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. race — humankind
  14. shower — to wash
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. content — videos and posts
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. content — the amount
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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