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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: track · fall · net · shower · hide · safe · scale · band

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. net — after costs
  6. hide — animal skin
  7. fall — to drop
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. shower — rain
  10. track — to keep track
  11. net — for catching
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. band — a music group
  15. scale — size or range
  16. track — a song
  17. shower — to wash
  18. track — a path
  19. fall — the season
  20. scale — in music
  21. net — in sport
  22. fall — to drop
  23. band — a ring
  24. safe — out of danger

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