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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: cap · shower · safe · snap · pitcher · pit · last · rush

  1. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  19. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a fruit stone
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. pit — a hole
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. cap — a hat
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. snap — to click
  11. last — to go on
  12. shower — rain
  13. pit — in a race
  14. rush — hurry
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — to wash
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. last — finally
  19. last — final
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. pitcher — a jug

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