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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: deal · toast · safe · shower · key · trunk · pop · tear

  1. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. pop — to visit
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. key — for a lock
  7. pop — soda
  8. key — in music
  9. tear — to rip
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. trunk — of a tree
  12. tear — from crying
  13. key — the most important part
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pop — music
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. trunk — of a car
  18. tear — from crying
  19. toast — bread
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. shower — rain
  23. deal — to handle
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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