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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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  19. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  23. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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. wind — to turn a key
  4. straw — dry grass
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. stock — goods
  8. hand — in cards
  9. pass — a permit
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. bank — of a river
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. bank — for money
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. stock — shares
  18. wind — moving air
  19. wind — moving air
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. straw — a straw man
  23. pass — to spend time
  24. hand — help

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