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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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Word bank
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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: present · mate · safe · shower · capital · bank

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  11. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. mate — to breed
  3. shower — rain
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. shower — to wash
  6. bank — for money
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. mate — a friend
  9. mate — a partner
  10. capital — a city
  11. capital — money
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. present — a gift
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bank — of a river
  16. present — there
  17. bank — for money
  18. safe — out of danger

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