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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.

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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: chip · perch · dip · drill · saw · safe · snap · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. drill — the tool
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. chip — in a computer
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. shower — rain
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. snap — to click
  12. perch — the fish
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — the tool
  15. chip — to eat
  16. drill — army training
  17. dip — to sink
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. drill — a practice
  20. chip — for betting
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. safe — out of danger

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