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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.

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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: shower · mouse · roll · pitch · wave · dip · fall · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  17. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  18. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. wave — with your hand
  3. dip — to sink
  4. shower — to wash
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. dip — a sauce
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. fall — the season
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. roll — a cake
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. fall — to drop
  17. fall — to drop
  18. pitch — completely
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. shower — rain
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. dip — to dunk

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