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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 116 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: hand · safe · face · trunk · drill · bank · stick · row

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. hand — in cards
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. trunk — of a car
  5. face — to point toward
  6. face — to confront
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bank — for money
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. row — to paddle
  13. hand — help
  14. drill — a practice
  15. face — part of the head
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. row — a line
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. drill — army training
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a quarrel

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