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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 120 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: bank · firm · safe · last · race · mug · pass · perch

  1. Where did you ________________ them?
  2. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  5. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  6. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  13. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. mug — to rob
  2. bank — for money
  3. firm — decided
  4. bank — for money
  5. bank — of a river
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. perch — the fish
  11. mug — a cup
  12. pass — a permit
  13. firm — steady
  14. mug — a face
  15. last — final
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. race — the arms race
  18. race — humankind
  19. race — a contest
  20. last — finally
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. last — to go on
  23. firm — a company
  24. safe — out of danger

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