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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: snap · rule · lean · season · shower · safe · row · coach

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. lean — to bend
  7. shower — rain
  8. row — to paddle
  9. season — in sport
  10. season — of the year
  11. snap — to click
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rule — a law
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. lean — thin
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. row — a line
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. rule — government

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