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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: shower · pit · safe · pop · fine · plane · fork · wind

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. You don't need to ________________ round.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  13. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  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. fork — in a road
  2. pop — to visit
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. pop — music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. wind — moving air
  12. pit — a hole
  13. wind — moving air
  14. plane — a tool
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. fine — all right
  18. pop — soda
  19. plane — in geometry
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. fine — high quality
  22. pit — in a race
  23. plane — an aircraft
  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