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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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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: cabinet · season · bank · bat · coach · branch · safe · cold

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  3. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. Have you met the new head ________________?
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  17. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  20. Did you ________________ the meat?
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The water is too ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. branch — of a tree
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. bank — of a river
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. season — in sport
  10. branch — of a bank
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cold — an illness
  15. bat — the animal
  16. season — of the year
  17. branch — a division
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. cold — the Cold War
  20. season — to add flavour
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. bank — for money
  24. cold — not warm

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