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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. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  4. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. net — for catching
  4. hand — part of the body
  5. lean — to rest against
  6. wake — a trail
  7. bank — for money
  8. march — music
  9. wake — to stop sleeping
  10. net — after costs
  11. lean — thin
  12. lean — to bend
  13. rest — a break
  14. hand — help
  15. hand — in cards
  16. net — in sport
  17. march — the month
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. bank — of a river
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. rest — what's left
  24. march — the month

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