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

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fall — to drop
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. mine — for digging
  6. fall — to drop
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. bank — for money
  9. game — wild animals
  10. branch — of a tree
  11. bank — for money
  12. branch — a division
  13. fall — the season
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. rash — hasty
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. stand — to bear
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. bank — of a river
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rash — a series
  24. rash — on the skin

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