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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: wake · snap · jam · shower · craft · safe · chest · rest

  1. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  7. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  8. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — a strongbox
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. chest — a box
  7. snap — to snap out of it
  8. shower — rain
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. craft — boats
  11. rest — what's left
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rest — what's left
  14. wake — to stop sleeping
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. snap — to click
  18. chest — of your body
  19. shower — to wash
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. craft — a skill
  22. rest — a break
  23. chest — of your body
  24. craft — a handicraft

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