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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: craft · rash · safe · track · trunk · bank · cold · pass

  1. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  4. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  12. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  21. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. 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. trunk — of a car
  2. rash — a series
  3. craft — a handicraft
  4. track — to keep track
  5. bank — for money
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. track — a path
  8. cold — an illness
  9. craft — boats
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — for money
  12. cold — the Cold War
  13. pass — a permit
  14. trunk — of an elephant
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rash — hasty
  17. track — a song
  18. bank — of a river
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — to spend time
  21. safe — a strongbox
  22. cold — not warm
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. 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