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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  13. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  17. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. ________________ you help me carry this box?

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. squash — to crush
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bank — for money
  5. chest — of your body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. squash — the vegetable
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. chest — of your body
  11. can — a tin
  12. file — a document
  13. chest — a box
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. file — a line of people
  17. file — a tool
  18. can — a tin
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. land — to come down
  21. land — a country
  22. land — ground
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. can — to be able to

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