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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. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  13. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  22. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.

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. object — to protest
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bank — of a river
  6. degree — from a university
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. prune — to trim
  9. degree — an amount
  10. prune — to trim
  11. ball — a great time
  12. clip — for paper
  13. clip — a video
  14. ball — a dance
  15. clip — to cut
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. bank — for money
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. object — a thing
  23. degree — temperature
  24. object — an aim

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