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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: bank · fork · bulb · safe · pitcher · wind · chair · last

  1. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I've got to change the light ________________.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  11. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. False peace will not ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. last — final
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. bank — for money
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fork — in a road
  8. bulb — for light
  9. bank — for money
  10. safe — out of danger
  11. wind — moving air
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bank — of a river
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. chair — a leader
  19. last — finally
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. bulb — for light
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. last — to go on

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