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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: band · ball · safe · last · shower · bark · lean · jam

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  5. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  13. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. False peace will not ________________.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. bark — to shout
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. lean — thin
  5. jam — to spread on bread
  6. ball — a dance
  7. shower — to wash
  8. last — final
  9. band — a ring
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. jam — a tight spot
  13. lean — to bend
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. last — to go on
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. ball — a great time
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. last — finally
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. shower — rain
  24. lean — to rest against

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