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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: lie · spring · safe · present · board · drill · foot · shower

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. drill — a practice
  3. lie — to recline
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. lie — an untruth
  7. shower — to wash
  8. foot — a measure
  9. drill — army training
  10. shower — rain
  11. spring — the season
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. spring — a coil
  14. drill — the tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. board — to get on
  18. spring — of water
  19. board — a committee
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. present — a gift
  23. present — the time now
  24. present — there

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