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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: march · bore · safe · suit · clip · bank · chair · dip

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  8. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  13. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  18. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. clip — a video
  4. march — music
  5. chair — a leader
  6. suit — to fit
  7. bore — gave birth
  8. bore — to drill
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. suit — in cards
  12. clip — to cut
  13. safe — out of danger
  14. suit — clothes
  15. bank — for money
  16. march — the month
  17. dip — to sink
  18. chair — a professorship
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. clip — for paper
  21. march — the month
  22. dip — to dunk
  23. bore — to tire
  24. bank — of a river

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