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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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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: shower · snap · safe · band · patient · mark · perch · firm

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mark — a grade
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. firm — steady
  6. band — a music group
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. firm — a company
  9. firm — decided
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. shower — to wash
  12. perch — the fish
  13. snap — to click
  14. mark — a trace
  15. band — a ring
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — rain
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. mark — to pay attention

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