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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 116 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: season · cue · bat · rock · dip · bark · safe · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  17. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  18. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  21. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  22. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. bark — to shout
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. cue — a signal
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. shower — to wash
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. rock — a stone
  10. season — in sport
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a hint
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. bark — of a tree
  17. rock — music
  18. bat — the animal
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. bark — a dog's sound
  21. bat — for baseball
  22. dip — to sink
  23. season — of the year
  24. dip — to dunk

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