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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 116 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: deal · shower · wake · club · plane · trunk · march · safe

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  15. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. The ________________ took off on time.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. march — the month
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. shower — to wash
  6. wake — a trail
  7. trunk — of a tree
  8. march — music
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. march — the month
  12. club — for dancing
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. plane — in geometry
  15. wake — before a funeral
  16. plane — a tool
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. shower — rain
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. deal — to handle
  24. plane — an aircraft

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