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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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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: staff · pitcher · band · bore · safe · cabinet · shower · tear

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. band — a music group
  3. staff — employees
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. tear — from crying
  7. shower — to wash
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. tear — from crying
  10. staff — employees
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. cabinet — ministers
  16. bore — to drill
  17. bore — to tire
  18. cabinet — a cupboard
  19. staff — a stick
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. shower — rain
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. band — a ring
  24. tear — to rip

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