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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 120 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 · dip · mine · fine · snap · branch · nail

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  8. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  19. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  20. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. shower — rain
  5. fine — high quality
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. branch — of a tree
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. mine — for digging
  10. snap — to click
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. fine — all right
  15. dip — a sauce
  16. branch — a division
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. dip — to sink
  19. mine — an explosive
  20. snap — to snap out of it
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. shower — a meteor shower

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