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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  8. The water is too ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  21. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. pit — in a race
  5. bank — of a river
  6. pit — a hole
  7. wind — moving air
  8. cold — not warm
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. cue — a hint
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. cue — for pool
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. cold — an illness
  17. wind — moving air
  18. bank — for money
  19. fork — in a road
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — the animal
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. cue — a signal

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