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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: safe · drill · band · chest · trunk · snap · staff · bank

  1. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  19. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  20. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a ring
  2. snap — to click
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. drill — the tool
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. drill — a practice
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. band — a music group
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. bank — for money
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. staff — employees
  15. chest — of your body
  16. trunk — of an elephant
  17. staff — employees
  18. chest — a box
  19. trunk — of a car
  20. chest — of your body
  21. bank — for money
  22. bank — of a river
  23. staff — a stick
  24. drill — army training

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