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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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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: dip · safe · mark · bound · hand · cue · wake · shower

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. That was ________________ to happen.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  13. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. hand — help
  3. mark — a trace
  4. bound — certain
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bound — obliged
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. cue — a signal
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. bound — tied together
  13. hand — part of the body
  14. cue — for pool
  15. hand — in cards
  16. shower — rain
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cue — a hint
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. shower — a meteor shower
  21. dip — to sink
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. mark — a grade
  24. wake — a trail

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