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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 · calf · bank · land · bowl · wind · roll · can

  1. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  6. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  21. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  22. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. safe — a strongbox
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. can — a tin
  6. bank — for money
  7. land — a country
  8. can — to be able to
  9. wind — moving air
  10. land — to come down
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. roll — a list
  14. can — a tin
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. wind — moving air
  17. bank — for money
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. land — ground
  20. safe — out of danger
  21. bank — of a river
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. roll — on a roll
  24. bowl — a football final

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