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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: pop · chair · bore · game · branch · snap · safe · shower

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. We're almost out of ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. shower — rain
  6. chair — a leader
  7. bore — to drill
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. pop — to visit
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. game — wild animals
  16. game — a match
  17. bore — to tire
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. branch — a division
  21. snap — to click
  22. pop — music
  23. pop — soda
  24. bore — gave birth

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