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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: dip · safe · lean · shower · chest · spring · fork · cue

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. cue — a hint
  5. shower — to wash
  6. spring — the season
  7. lean — to bend
  8. spring — a coil
  9. fork — in a road
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. spring — of water
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. dip — to sink
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. chest — of your body
  16. shower — rain
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. lean — thin
  19. cue — a signal
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. chest — of your body
  23. cue — for pool
  24. chest — a box

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