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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: bark · land · shower · rash · sharp · safe · rest · track

  1. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. When are we going to ________________?
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. rash — hasty
  4. shower — rain
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. track — to keep track
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. bark — of a tree
  11. land — a country
  12. rest — a break
  13. land — ground
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. rash — a series
  16. bark — to shout
  17. rest — what's left
  18. track — a path
  19. bark — a dog's sound
  20. track — a song
  21. shower — to wash
  22. land — to come down
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — with an edge

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