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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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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: rush · root · safe · stick · fan · shower · fork · snap

  1. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  12. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  16. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  17. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  20. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. fork — to eat with
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. fork — in a road
  7. snap — to click
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. root — of a word
  12. snap — to speak sharply
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. shower — to wash
  16. fork — a garden tool
  17. root — of a plant
  18. shower — rain
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. rush — hurry
  23. root — the cause
  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