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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: key · bank · safe · wave · rest · clip · spring · date

  1. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  6. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  7. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. bank — for money
  4. rest — a break
  5. spring — of water
  6. wave — of the sea
  7. bank — for money
  8. key — for a lock
  9. key — the most important part
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — of a river
  12. rest — what's left
  13. rest — what's left
  14. spring — the season
  15. clip — for paper
  16. key — in music
  17. wave — a sudden rise
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. clip — a video
  20. date — the fruit
  21. spring — a coil
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. clip — to cut
  24. wave — with your hand

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