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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
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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: bass · cold · bank · arm · saw · mug · safe · mine

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. The water is too ________________.
  3. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. cold — not warm
  3. bank — for money
  4. bass — the fish
  5. saw — the tool
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bank — of a river
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. bank — for money
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. cold — an illness
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. mine — an explosive
  19. bass — low music
  20. mug — a face
  21. mug — a cup
  22. cold — the Cold War
  23. mug — to rob
  24. mine — for digging

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