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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: band · shower · safe · spring · firm · root · clip · rush

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. shower — a meteor shower
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. root — the cause
  5. rush — hurry
  6. firm — decided
  7. root — of a word
  8. spring — a coil
  9. root — of a plant
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. clip — for paper
  14. band — a ring
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. band — a music group
  17. firm — steady
  18. clip — to cut
  19. spring — of water
  20. spring — the season
  21. firm — a company
  22. clip — a video
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — to wash

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