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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: wake · mate · shower · coach · scale · safe · craft · pop

  1. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  11. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Have you found your soul ________________?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  23. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  24. Have you met the new head ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. shower — to wash
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. craft — boats
  7. craft — a skill
  8. scale — size or range
  9. shower — rain
  10. pop — music
  11. scale — in music
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. mate — a partner
  14. wake — a trail
  15. mate — a friend
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. pop — to visit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. coach — pulled by horses
  20. mate — to breed
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. wake — before a funeral
  23. craft — a handicraft
  24. coach — a trainer

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