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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: safe · pit · face · stock · tube · bank · last · patient

  1. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. False peace will not ________________.
  11. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. The ________________ market has crashed.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  16. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  22. I'll be taking the ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — for money
  4. bank — for money
  5. pit — a hole
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. face — part of the head
  8. bank — of a river
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. last — to go on
  11. stock — a soup base
  12. last — finally
  13. stock — shares
  14. tube — a container
  15. safe — out of danger
  16. face — to confront
  17. stock — goods
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. last — final
  22. tube — the underground
  23. pit — in a race
  24. safe — out of danger

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