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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  19. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. stand — to bear
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. present — a gift
  7. bank — for money
  8. present — there
  9. spring — a coil
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. wake — a trail
  16. present — the time now
  17. bank — of a river
  18. spring — of water
  19. wound — an injury
  20. spring — the season
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. wound — an injury

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