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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: nail · rest · shower · stick · bank · jam · chip · safe

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  10. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. The ________________ went through the wall.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rest — what's left
  4. shower — rain
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. jam — in traffic
  10. bank — for money
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. rest — what's left
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. bank — of a river
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. shower — to wash
  20. rest — a break
  21. chip — to eat
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. chip — for betting

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