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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: saw · rule · mark · shower · fall · board · spring · safe

  1. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  5. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  10. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  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. board — a flat piece
  2. spring — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. saw — past of 'see'
  5. shower — rain
  6. rule — a law
  7. fall — the season
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. fall — to drop
  10. spring — a coil
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. board — to get on
  13. rule — government
  14. mark — a grade
  15. board — a committee
  16. saw — the tool
  17. saw — the tool
  18. spring — of water
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. mark — a trace
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. shower — to wash
  23. fall — to drop
  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