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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  7. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  10. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. dip — to sink
  4. wind — moving air
  5. hand — help
  6. object — to protest
  7. hand — in cards
  8. object — an aim
  9. bank — for money
  10. dip — to dunk
  11. game — wild animals
  12. tear — from crying
  13. bank — of a river
  14. object — a thing
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. game — a match
  17. tear — from crying
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. wind — moving air
  22. tear — to rip
  23. dip — a sauce
  24. hand — part of the body

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