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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: sharp · suit · safe · club · stick · face · march · shower

  1. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  15. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for dancing
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. face — to point toward
  6. march — the month
  7. march — music
  8. suit — in cards
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. suit — clothes
  11. face — part of the head
  12. club — for golf
  13. sharp — clever
  14. stick — to attach or keep to
  15. sharp — with an edge
  16. club — a group
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. shower — rain
  20. face — to confront
  21. march — the month
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. suit — to fit
  24. shower — to wash

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