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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. band — a music group
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. scale — size or range
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bank — of a river
  7. march — music
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. arm — a part of something
  12. rash — a series
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. safe — a strongbox
  15. bank — for money
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a ring
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. bank — for money
  22. march — the month
  23. rash — hasty
  24. scale — in music

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