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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: safe · shower · hand · charge · jam · spell · prune · wind

  1. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  12. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The tickets are free of ________________.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. shower — a meteor shower
  2. hand — in cards
  3. shower — rain
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. prune — to trim
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. wind — moving air
  9. charge — electricity
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. wind — moving air
  12. hand — help
  13. spell — letters
  14. shower — to wash
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. charge — in control
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. spell — a short time
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. charge — a price
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. prune — to trim
  23. spell — magic
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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