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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: ground · wake · spring · rush · shower · arm · pitch · safe

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. That must've been a ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  9. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  10. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  11. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  12. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  15. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  22. There's no middle ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. rush — a thrill
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. shower — to wash
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. ground — the earth
  8. wake — before a funeral
  9. arm — a part of something
  10. shower — rain
  11. spring — of water
  12. wake — a trail
  13. rush — hurry
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. shower — a meteor shower
  16. ground — crushed
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. rush — to hurry
  19. spring — a coil
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. spring — the season
  22. ground — a position
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. safe — a strongbox

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