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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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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: chest · pit · safe · mouse · stem · shower · ground · rock

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. pit — a hole
  3. ground — the earth
  4. chest — a box
  5. stem — of a plant
  6. shower — rain
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chest — of your body
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. rock — music
  13. ground — crushed
  14. pit — in a race
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. stem — to come from
  19. chest — of your body
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. rock — a stone
  22. shower — to wash
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. ground — a position

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