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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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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: club · branch · rock · hand · wake · pop · shower · safe

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  10. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  21. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  22. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. He's taking a ________________ right now.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. rock — a stone
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. shower — rain
  5. rock — music
  6. hand — in cards
  7. branch — of a bank
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. shower — a meteor shower
  10. branch — a division
  11. hand — help
  12. club — a group
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. club — for golf
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. pop — soda
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wake — a trail
  21. wake — before a funeral
  22. branch — of a tree
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. shower — to wash

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