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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: firm · cell · court · wound · safe · saw · board · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. cell — in biology
  4. firm — a company
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. court — of a king
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. board — to get on
  9. saw — the tool
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. wound — an injury
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. board — a committee
  14. court — for sport
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of law
  17. firm — steady
  18. shower — to wash
  19. firm — decided
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. cell — a phone
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. wound — an injury
  24. saw — past of 'see'

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