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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: bank · wound · rock · safe · capital · content · shower · press

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. Did you ________________ the button?
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  8. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  9. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  10. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  11. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  12. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  23. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  24. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. wound — an injury
  4. press — to push
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. rock — a stone
  7. shower — a meteor shower
  8. capital — money
  9. capital — a city
  10. shower — to wash
  11. capital — a big letter
  12. content — the amount
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. wound — an injury
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. rock — music
  17. press — newspapers
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. content — happy
  20. bank — for money
  21. shower — rain
  22. content — videos and posts
  23. bank — of a river
  24. press — a publisher

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