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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: march · fine · mark · trunk · snap · safe · straw · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. fine — high quality
  3. trunk — of an elephant
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. march — the month
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. trunk — of a car
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. mark — a trace
  14. snap — to click
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. fine — all right
  17. march — the month
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. march — music
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. shower — to wash
  22. straw — dry grass
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. mark — a grade

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