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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: nail · mouse · mate · pit · shower · craft · row · safe

  1. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. Boris sat near the fire ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. craft — boats
  6. shower — to wash
  7. shower — rain
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. row — to paddle
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. craft — a skill
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. mate — to breed
  14. nail — on a finger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. pit — in a race
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. row — a line
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. pit — a hole

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