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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: fan · hand · safe · dip · lie · pit · race · shower

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  20. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. race — the arms race
  3. race — humankind
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. shower — to wash
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — in a race
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. shower — rain
  16. dip — to sink
  17. hand — in cards
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. shower — a meteor shower
  20. race — a contest
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. hand — help
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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