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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: kid · safe · hide · bank · fan · snap · firm · saw

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. He works in a ________________ mill.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. saw — the tool
  5. snap — to click
  6. bank — for money
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. kid — to tease
  10. firm — decided
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. firm — a company
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. bank — for money
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. snap — to snap out of it
  19. saw — the tool
  20. snap — to speak sharply
  21. firm — steady
  22. bank — of a river
  23. safe — a strongbox
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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