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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: bank · safe · file · cold · present · staff · stand · cabinet

  1. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. What do you think of the new ________________?
  21. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. The water is too ________________.
  24. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — of a river
  2. stand — to bear
  3. present — a gift
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. present — the time now
  7. cold — an illness
  8. file — a line of people
  9. staff — employees
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. staff — a stick
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. bank — for money
  15. file — a document
  16. cold — the Cold War
  17. present — there
  18. staff — employees
  19. bank — for money
  20. cabinet — ministers
  21. file — a tool
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. cold — not warm
  24. cabinet — a cupboard

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