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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: kick · bank · cold · chip · safe · present

  1. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  5. The water is too ________________.
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. chip — for betting
  2. bank — of a river
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bank — for money
  5. cold — not warm
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. kick — with a leg
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. chip — to eat
  10. present — the time now
  11. cold — the Cold War
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cold — an illness
  14. bank — for money
  15. present — a gift
  16. present — there
  17. kick — in football
  18. chip — in a computer

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