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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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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: bat · ruler · bank · file · safe · board · stick · hide

  1. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. file — a document
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. bank — for money
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. file — a line of people
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. file — a tool
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — the animal
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. board — a committee
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. bank — of a river
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. board — to get on

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