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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 116 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 · cell · present · plane · safe · chair

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  12. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. chair — a professorship
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. present — a gift
  6. present — there
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. present — the time now
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. cell — in biology
  12. plane — a tool
  13. chair — a leader
  14. shower — to wash
  15. cell — a phone
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. cell — in a prison

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