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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: ball · stand · shower · prune · dip · safe · wake · tube

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  4. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  5. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  19. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  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. shower — a meteor shower
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — a sauce
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. ball — a great time
  8. stand — to bear
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. tube — the underground
  12. tube — a container
  13. ball — a dance
  14. shower — rain
  15. dip — to sink
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. wake — a trail
  19. wake — to stop sleeping
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. tube — in a tire
  22. shower — to wash
  23. prune — the fruit
  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