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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: safe · hide · degree · date · bank · chair · drill · pass

  1. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  4. Have you settled on a ________________?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  19. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. safe — out of danger
  2. bank — for money
  3. chair — a leader
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. degree — from a university
  6. drill — a practice
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. bank — of a river
  12. degree — an amount
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. pass — a permit
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. date — the fruit
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. hide — animal skin
  20. drill — the tool
  21. date — on the calendar
  22. drill — army training
  23. bank — for money
  24. degree — temperature

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