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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 116 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: land · chair · can · snap · safe · tear · shower · bank

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  16. When are we going to ________________?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  23. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to speak sharply
  2. tear — from crying
  3. bank — for money
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. tear — to rip
  8. land — a country
  9. land — ground
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. shower — to wash
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. snap — to click
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. chair — to sit on
  16. land — to come down
  17. tear — from crying
  18. bank — for money
  19. bank — of a river
  20. can — to be able to
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. can — a tin
  23. shower — rain
  24. chair — a leader

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