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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: safe · drill · shower · leaves · pit · arm · dip · stand

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. We took cover from the thunder ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. dip — to sink
  4. pit — a hole
  5. drill — army training
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. arm — part of the body
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. shower — to wash
  13. drill — the tool
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. drill — a practice
  16. shower — a meteor shower
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. pit — in a race
  19. dip — to dunk
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. shower — rain

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