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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: bank · bay · kid · bear · safe · net

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. My mare is ________________ in color.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. kid — child
  3. kid — to tease
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. bear — to put up with
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. bear — the animal
  9. bank — of a river
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — for catching
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. net — in sport
  15. bear — the animal
  16. bank — for money
  17. bay — a horse colour
  18. bay — a part of the sea

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