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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bank · pit · wound · safe · bark · hide · season · shower

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. Did you ________________ the meat?
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. season — in sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. bank — of a river
  10. bark — to shout
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. wound — an injury
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. wound — an injury
  16. shower — to wash
  17. shower — rain
  18. bark — of a tree
  19. bank — for money
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. season — to add flavour
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. bank — for money
  24. pit — a hole

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