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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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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: rule · shower · bulb · pound · mug · wound · safe · lash

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  6. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  15. I've got to change the light ________________.
  16. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  17. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  18. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pound — a weight
  3. shower — rain
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pound — to hit hard
  6. mug — a face
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. wound — an injury
  9. mug — a cup
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. mug — to rob
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. rule — a law
  15. bulb — for light
  16. lash — to lash out
  17. lash — an eyelash
  18. rule — government
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. wound — an injury
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. bulb — for light
  24. bulb — of a plant

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