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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: roll · bank · kid · safe · club · wake · saw · row

  1. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. We're on a ________________ here.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. He works in a ________________ mill.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. She's very handy with a ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. roll — on a roll
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — before a funeral
  5. club — a group
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. kid — to tease
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. roll — a list
  14. kid — child
  15. bank — for money
  16. row — to paddle
  17. saw — the tool
  18. club — for dancing
  19. wake — a trail
  20. club — for golf
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. roll — a cake
  23. bank — for money
  24. row — a line

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