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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: pit · prune · safe · shower · drill · wake · lean · racket

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  17. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. lean — to rest against
  4. shower — rain
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. lean — to bend
  8. pit — a hole
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. shower — to wash
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. lean — thin
  15. prune — to trim
  16. drill — the tool
  17. prune — to trim
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. prune — the fruit
  22. pit — in a race
  23. drill — army training
  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