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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: content · mark · bank · straw · tear · suit · safe · stand

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  8. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  9. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  10. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  11. When will it ________________ you to start?
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  17. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  20. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. suit — clothes
  3. tear — from crying
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — a grade
  6. mark — a trace
  7. tear — to rip
  8. bank — for money
  9. tear — from crying
  10. straw — to clutch at straws
  11. suit — to fit
  12. bank — of a river
  13. stand — to bear
  14. content — videos and posts
  15. suit — in cards
  16. safe — out of danger
  17. content — happy
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. straw — dry grass
  20. straw — a straw man
  21. content — the amount
  22. stand — for spectators
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. mark — to pay attention

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