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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: perch · chip · shower · saw · safe · cue · patient · band

  1. She's very handy with a ________________.
  2. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. shower — to wash
  3. band — a music group
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. chip — to eat
  6. chip — for betting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a hint
  9. perch — for a bird
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cue — a signal
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. shower — a meteor shower
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. saw — the tool
  17. band — a ring
  18. cue — for pool
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. shower — rain
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. perch — the fish
  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