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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 120 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 · snap · lie · safe · stem · bank · bat · hand

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  15. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  22. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  23. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. bank — for money
  5. bat — the animal
  6. safe — a strongbox
  7. key — in music
  8. key — the most important part
  9. snap — to click
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. bank — of a river
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. hand — help
  15. stem — to come from
  16. bank — for money
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. key — for a lock
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. snap — to speak sharply
  22. lie — to recline
  23. lie — an untruth
  24. hand — in cards

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