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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: suit · roll · pop · shower · present · safe · clip · temple

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. We're on a ________________ here.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  14. We're almost out of ________________.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  18. When was this ________________ built?
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. suit — to fit
  3. clip — to cut
  4. roll — on a roll
  5. clip — a video
  6. temple — side of the head
  7. shower — rain
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — in cards
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. pop — music
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. shower — to wash
  14. pop — soda
  15. present — there
  16. suit — clothes
  17. roll — a cake
  18. temple — a place of worship
  19. present — the time now
  20. temple — a place of worship
  21. roll — a list
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pop — to visit

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