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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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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: key · squash · coach · cabinet · safe · fall · wind · bank

  1. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  5. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  6. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. Have you met the new head ________________?
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. This piece is in a major ________________.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  18. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?

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

Answer key

  1. wind — moving air
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. wind — moving air
  5. wind — to turn a key
  6. coach — pulled by horses
  7. key — the most important part
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. squash — the sport
  12. safe — out of danger
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. key — in music
  15. bank — for money
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. bank — for money
  18. fall — to drop
  19. bank — of a river
  20. safe — a strongbox
  21. squash — to crush
  22. fall — to drop
  23. fall — the season
  24. key — for a lock

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