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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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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: shower · lash · deal · row · fork · staff · safe · court

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. shower — rain
  4. staff — employees
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. row — a line
  7. staff — employees
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. deal — to handle
  10. row — to paddle
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. court — of law
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. lash — an eyelash
  15. court — of a king
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. staff — a stick
  20. lash — to lash out
  21. fork — in a road
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. court — for sport
  24. deal — an agreement

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