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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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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: cue · pound · tear · kid · safe · present · fine · shower

  1. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  20. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  23. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  24. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — rain
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. fine — high quality
  4. cue — for pool
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. cue — a hint
  7. pound — a weight
  8. present — a gift
  9. present — the time now
  10. tear — from crying
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. present — there
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. kid — to tease
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. shower — to wash
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — all right
  19. cue — a signal
  20. tear — to rip
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. kid — child
  23. pound — for dogs
  24. tear — from crying

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