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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: shower · straw · present · pop · pass · pitcher · safe · snap

  1. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  8. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  19. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — a straw man
  2. pop — soda
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. shower — rain
  7. safe — a strongbox
  8. pop — music
  9. pass — a permit
  10. present — the time now
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. present — a gift
  13. pass — to succeed
  14. present — there
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. snap — to click
  19. shower — to wash
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. pop — to visit
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. straw — dry grass

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