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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: tear · toast · safe · content · bank · bowl

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  18. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. content — happy
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. bank — for money
  7. toast — bread
  8. bank — for money
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. tear — from crying
  11. tear — from crying
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. bank — of a river
  15. tear — to rip
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bowl — to roll
  18. content — the amount

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