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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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468
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: bound · bank · bass · dip · straw · date · safe · kid

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Have you settled on a ________________?
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  16. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  22. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  23. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. straw — dry grass
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. bass — low music
  9. bound — tied together
  10. kid — to tease
  11. straw — to clutch at straws
  12. bound — certain
  13. kid — child
  14. bank — for money
  15. safe — a strongbox
  16. straw — a straw man
  17. bank — of a river
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bass — the fish
  20. bank — for money
  21. bass — the instrument
  22. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  23. bound — obliged
  24. dip — to sink

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