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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.

Words on the sheet
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: safe · squash · bank · mark · land · rash · fall · bark

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  20. When are we going to ________________?
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  23. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  24. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fall — the season
  3. safe — out of danger
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. squash — the sport
  7. bank — of a river
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. squash — to crush
  10. land — ground
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. safe — a strongbox
  13. bark — to shout
  14. rash — a series
  15. rash — hasty
  16. land — a country
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. mark — a trace
  19. squash — the vegetable
  20. land — to come down
  21. fall — to drop
  22. bank — for money
  23. bank — for money
  24. fall — to drop

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