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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: rush · shower · foot · game · safe · trunk · dip · deal

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. rush — hurry
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. trunk — of a car
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. deal — to handle
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. foot — a measure
  12. dip — to sink
  13. dip — a sauce
  14. game — a match
  15. game — wild animals
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. shower — to wash
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. shower — rain
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. trunk — of a tree

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