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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 120 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: board · kid · band · leaves · race · bank · track · safe

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  15. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  16. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  17. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  22. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. leaves — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. kid — child
  5. band — a ring
  6. bank — for money
  7. track — a path
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. track — a song
  12. band — a music group
  13. board — to get on
  14. race — the arms race
  15. band — a rubber band
  16. race — a contest
  17. board — a flat piece
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. board — a committee
  20. race — humankind
  21. leaves — to go away
  22. bank — for money
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. track — to keep track

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