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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.

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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. We're almost out of ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  17. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. pop — soda
  3. bank — for money
  4. file — a document
  5. file — a tool
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bank — for money
  8. ruler — a monarch
  9. degree — an amount
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. pop — to visit
  14. file — a line of people
  15. degree — from a university
  16. stand — on your feet
  17. pop — music
  18. stand — to bear
  19. safe — a strongbox
  20. degree — temperature
  21. bank — of a river
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. safe — out of danger

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