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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: drill · safe · spring · club · perch · suit · net · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. suit — in cards
  3. net — for catching
  4. net — after costs
  5. shower — rain
  6. drill — army training
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. spring — the season
  9. club — for dancing
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — a practice
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for golf
  17. suit — clothes
  18. suit — to fit
  19. net — in sport
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. perch — the fish
  23. shower — to wash
  24. safe — a strongbox

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