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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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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: stick · fine · trunk · snap · wound · safe · drill · shower

  1. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  6. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — past of 'wind'
  2. shower — rain
  3. shower — to wash
  4. drill — the tool
  5. snap — to speak sharply
  6. wound — an injury
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. drill — a practice
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. fine — a penalty
  13. drill — army training
  14. fine — high quality
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. trunk — of a tree
  17. fine — all right
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. wound — an injury
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. snap — to click

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