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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: safe · stock · leaves · face · pass · bore · shower · land

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. When are we going to ________________?
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. land — to come down
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. land — ground
  5. bore — to drill
  6. shower — a meteor shower
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bore — to tire
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. land — a country
  11. stock — shares
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. face — to confront
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. shower — to wash
  19. pass — a permit
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. face — to point toward
  22. stock — goods
  23. face — part of the head
  24. shower — rain

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