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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 120 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: object · safe · pound · staff · chest · mark · shower · march

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  21. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. shower — rain
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. chest — a box
  8. march — the month
  9. object — an aim
  10. object — a thing
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. chest — of your body
  13. staff — a stick
  14. march — music
  15. pound — a weight
  16. staff — employees
  17. mark — a trace
  18. staff — employees
  19. object — to protest
  20. pound — to hit hard
  21. mark — a grade
  22. march — the month
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. chest — of your body

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