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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
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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: kick · shower · rock · tube · safe · lie · fine · spring

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. I'll be taking the ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  20. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  21. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. kick — a thrill
  4. fine — all right
  5. kick — in football
  6. spring — a coil
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. tube — the underground
  9. shower — rain
  10. tube — a container
  11. lie — to recline
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. rock — a stone
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. rock — music
  19. spring — the season
  20. lie — an untruth
  21. spring — of water
  22. shower — to wash
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. fine — high quality

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