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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · shower · swing · rock · scale · craft · file · lean

  1. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  23. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  24. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. shower — rain
  3. scale — size or range
  4. craft — a skill
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. file — a tool
  7. swing — to play on
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. rock — a stone
  10. shower — a meteor shower
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. craft — boats
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. file — a document
  15. lean — thin
  16. scale — in music
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. swing — in golf
  20. file — a line of people
  21. rock — music
  22. lean — to bend
  23. lean — to rest against
  24. swing — music

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