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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: bass · file · rush · object · court · safe · bear · shower

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  12. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. file — a line of people
  4. file — a tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. object — an aim
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. bass — the fish
  9. file — a document
  10. court — of law
  11. shower — to wash
  12. bear — the animal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. court — for sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. rush — hurry
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. shower — rain
  19. object — to protest
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. bear — to put up with
  22. object — a thing
  23. court — of a king
  24. bass — low music

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