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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: safe · wound · deal · mouse · rule · dip · shower · fall

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  23. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. wound — an injury
  5. rule — a law
  6. fall — to drop
  7. fall — the season
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. wound — an injury
  12. dip — to sink
  13. rule — government
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. fall — to drop
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. shower — rain
  23. shower — to wash
  24. deal — to handle

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