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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: band · board · safe · ground · shower · sharp · bore · rock

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. rock — music
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rock — a stone
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. band — a music group
  7. shower — to wash
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. sharp — clever
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. ground — the earth
  13. ground — crushed
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. board — a flat piece
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. shower — rain
  18. ground — a position
  19. board — to get on
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. band — a ring
  22. bore — to tire
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. board — a committee

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