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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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468
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: prune · safe · dip · hand · stick · shower · fine · file

  1. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  9. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  13. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  19. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. file — a line of people
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. prune — to trim
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. fine — all right
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. prune — to trim
  9. shower — to wash
  10. file — a document
  11. file — a tool
  12. hand — in cards
  13. shower — a meteor shower
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. prune — the fruit
  19. fine — high quality
  20. shower — rain
  21. hand — part of the body
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. hand — help

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