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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: trunk · present · safe · bear · plane · shower · cold · sharp

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. It's one o'clock ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  12. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. The water is too ________________.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — to wash
  3. sharp — clever
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. present — the time now
  6. sharp — exactly
  7. present — there
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. present — a gift
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. cold — an illness
  12. trunk — of an elephant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. bear — the animal
  16. cold — not warm
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. cold — the Cold War
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. plane — in geometry
  24. sharp — with an edge

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