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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.

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: shower · safe · degree · tube · charge · stand · can · snap

  1. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  2. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  3. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  4. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  17. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  20. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  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. snap — to speak sharply
  2. can — a tin
  3. charge — electricity
  4. shower — to wash
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. stand — to bear
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. degree — temperature
  10. can — a tin
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. shower — rain
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — in a tire
  17. shower — a meteor shower
  18. charge — in control
  19. tube — a container
  20. can — to be able to
  21. charge — a price
  22. degree — from a university
  23. degree — an amount
  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