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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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468
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: plane · rest · spring · racket · shower · safe · pass · bore

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  3. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  18. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The flowers bloom in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. pass — a permit
  3. spring — of water
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. rest — a break
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. spring — a coil
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. plane — a tool
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rest — what's left
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. rest — what's left
  18. plane — in geometry
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. shower — rain
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. bore — to tire
  24. spring — the season

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