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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 · rest · nail · bank · lie · swing · fan · tear

  1. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  5. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. David sat on the ________________.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  22. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. He has no idea where the ________________ is.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rest — a break
  4. nail — on a finger
  5. lie — to recline
  6. bank — of a river
  7. tear — from crying
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. rest — what's left
  11. lie — an untruth
  12. tear — to rip
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. swing — music
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. bank — for money
  17. swing — to play on
  18. rest — what's left
  19. bank — for money
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. tear — from crying
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. safe — a strongbox

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