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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. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  4. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  5. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  12. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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 ring
  3. rush — to hurry
  4. kick — in football
  5. dip — a sauce
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. can — a tin
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. safe — a strongbox
  12. kick — a thrill
  13. dip — to sink
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. can — a tin
  17. rush — hurry
  18. band — a music group
  19. bank — of a river
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — to be able to
  23. bank — for money
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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