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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: rest · shower · safe · club · bound · fine · bulb · capital

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The light ________________ burned out.
  22. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. bound — obliged
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. club — for golf
  6. fine — all right
  7. rest — what's left
  8. club — for dancing
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. capital — a city
  12. fine — high quality
  13. club — a group
  14. shower — to wash
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. bulb — of a plant
  18. rest — a break
  19. bound — certain
  20. bulb — for light
  21. bulb — for light
  22. bound — tied together
  23. rest — what's left
  24. capital — money

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