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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 · mark · bat · leaves · bowl · hand · wound · bank

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  7. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  8. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  12. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. hand — help
  6. bowl — to roll
  7. wound — past of 'wind'
  8. hand — part of the body
  9. mark — a grade
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bat — for baseball
  12. bank — of a river
  13. bank — for money
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. mark — a trace
  16. hand — in cards
  17. mark — to pay attention
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. wound — an injury
  22. bank — for money
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. bat — the animal

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