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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.

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: hand · safe · shower · dip · mate · lash · saw · squash

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mate — to breed
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. saw — the tool
  7. mate — a partner
  8. squash — the sport
  9. hand — help
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. lash — an eyelash
  12. shower — to wash
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. hand — in cards
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. mate — a friend
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. dip — to sink
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. shower — rain
  22. saw — the tool
  23. squash — to crush
  24. lash — to lash out

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