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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: hand · file · shower · rush · safe · present · rest · board

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  7. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  8. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rush — hurry
  3. shower — to wash
  4. file — a document
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. file — a line of people
  7. board — to get on
  8. board — a committee
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. board — a flat piece
  12. hand — help
  13. rest — what's left
  14. rest — what's left
  15. file — a tool
  16. hand — in cards
  17. present — the time now
  18. present — a gift
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rest — a break
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. shower — rain

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