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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: hide · fan · shower · rash · hand · safe · suit · stem

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  5. Don't do anything ________________.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. hand — help
  3. shower — to wash
  4. hand — in cards
  5. rash — hasty
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. stem — a stem cell
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. suit — to fit
  17. suit — clothes
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. rash — a series
  20. stem — of a plant
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. stem — to come from
  23. suit — in cards
  24. hide — animal skin

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