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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 120 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: snap · plane · shower · hand · safe · cap · season · board

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The ________________ took off on time.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  19. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  22. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. board — a flat piece
  5. hand — help
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. shower — rain
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. board — to get on
  11. cap — of ice
  12. shower — to wash
  13. season — in sport
  14. snap — to click
  15. plane — in geometry
  16. cap — a hat
  17. plane — an aircraft
  18. season — of the year
  19. snap — to speak sharply
  20. board — a committee
  21. hand — in cards
  22. snap — to snap out of it
  23. plane — a tool
  24. cap — a lid

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