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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  6. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  7. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Have you found your soul ________________?
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ went through the wall.

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. hide — to keep secret
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. chip — for betting
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — in a computer
  8. mate — a friend
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. march — the month
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. bank — for money
  14. mate — to breed
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — a partner
  17. chip — to eat
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. bank — of a river
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. march — music
  24. nail — for a hammer

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